Bad Boy
by twilightlover367
Summary: Local bad boy Edward Cullen is always getting himself in trouble. Bella, an angel child from Pheonix can’t stand him the minute she sees him in Forks. Can they love each other, or will they hate each other forever?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything by Stephenie Meyer.**

I was in the airport with my mom, about to go through security. Pheonix would always be my favorite city, and I was sad that I had to leave it. But the happiness of my mother was much more important than my own. Besides, I didn't see Charlie very often, and it was time to see him again.

But I hated Forks every summer I went there. She had remarried, and Phil played baseball for a living, and he always had to travel. She missed him terribly, and I figured that she would feel reasured that I was with Charlie or something.

"Bella, you don't have to do this. You can stay here!" She protested. But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes.

"Mom, don't worry. Charlie will take good care of me, and I'm almost an adult."

"I suppose. But Bella, you've lived here your whole life."

"Mom, maybe it's a good thing that I'm moving, I'll get to be in a different environment, and meet some new students."

"But Bella, it's in the middle of your junior year, what if you have trouble at school. And you won't know anybody."

"Mom," I tried to laugh, "you know that I do well in school. I've never gotten in trouble, and I always get straight A's, remember?" She sighed, and smiled. I didn't comment on the friends part. I had a couple of friends in my huge school, but they weren't really close. I had trouble socializing with people.

"Yes Bella, of course you'll do well, you always do well."

"I'll always write to you, and we'll talk on the phone. Everything will go smoothly, have fun with Phil." I tried to put on the most enthusiastic smile that I could. Maybe some tears would come during the plane ride, but I wouldn't let my mother see them.

"Bella," she whispered. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and a hug.

"Bye mom," I said sadly. I gave her one last smile, then went through security, not turning back because the tears were coming.

"Boarding pass, please," said a really dull voice. I handed the security person my plane ticket, and walked through. Thank god it didn't start beeping. That never happened really often to me, but I would hate to have it happen now, when I wanted to get to my gate.

Two more hours to wait till my plane took off. Perfect. Maybe I could go shop around a little bit. I had a fourty dollars, I could buy a magazine at the very least. I entered the store.

There I saw an In Touch magazine. When I got to the counter, I saw a hot guy who was reading some skateboarding magazine.

"How are you today ma'am?" He asked smiling.

"Great."

"Your total is four dollars." I handed him a five.

"Have a good day," he smiled. Okay then. With nothing else to do, I went back to my gate. Some shopping trip.

Reading about Britney Spears' little sister getting pregnant was not entertaining. I honestly didn't understand how they could live their lives' like this. No privacy. No freedom. If you wear or do something wrong, you're considered ugly. What kind of a life is that?

"Gate 22 is now boarding, group A please come up." That was me! Finally, I could get out of this airport.

Once I got on the plane, I sat down a little too fastly in my seat. The flight attendant gave me a strange look. My thoughts immediately shifted.

What would it be like in a new school? A new environment? I knew that school work would not be a problem, my parents considered me an angel child. What about friends? This kept worrying me. What would people think? I was just average looking, nothing special. I felt a tiny flicker of hope to get more friends, to start out fresh.

I had to admit, no matter how much I was dreading this, moving actually felt exciting. Maybe I could rest a bit.

"Thank-you for tarveling with Southwest, we look forward to seeing you soon." My eyelids immendiately fluttered open. Had a full two hours really already passed?

Walking into the Port Angeles airport, I felt a little embarassed. Being in a car for an hour with Charlie was going to be tough. Not one of us talked a lot, and I knew it would be a little awkward. When I saw him, he seemed happy to see me.

"It's great to see you Bella. How have you been?" I laughed.

"I was about to ask you the same, but I have been good."

"I won't even bother asking you how school has been going, you always do more than the best." I gave him a hug, then we went to his car, which was unfortunately a police car. I was going to have to buy my own car, pronto.

When we finally arrived at the house, I went straight up to my room, and unpacked. It was actually sunny outside today, and I felt like taking a walk. I new that I should probably spend time with my dad, but I reasoned that I would have months to spend time with him. Plus, he was probably still getting used to having another person living in the house.

"Bella," Charlie said when I got downstairs, "I just wanted to let you know that you'll start school in two days. Where are you going?"

"Just for a walk, get some fresh air. It usually rains here, and I figured that I should get as much sunlight as possible," I laughed.

"Have fun." Then he turned back to whatever he was doing.

In two days I would be in a new school. It's not like I missed my old one, but still. A sudden breeze put my hair in my face, and I quickly brushed it off.

I decided to walk to the school, and see what it looked like. Might as well practice walking till I got a car. The building was not very large, and I decided to see if it was open. The place looked so innocent. No chain linked fences, I couldn't even see a cop car around. Even on weekends at my school, there was a police car around somewhere.

The school looked scary in its own way when it was empty. With no cars in the parking lot, no lights on, and not even one person walking around just to admire it, it almost looked haunted. I'm sure it would be different tomorrow, though I didn't feel reassured.

**2 days later...**

What was that annoying buzzing sound?! Oh right, it was my alarm clock. For the past two days, I had been sleeping till about noon, so my sleep patterns had been messed up.

I quickly got dressed, and since I had no car, I decided to use the public transportation. Once my computer was on, I looked at the times. Perfect, I had exactly thirty minutes to get ready.

I went out the door, and made my bus with seconds to spare. The ride went much faster than I had thought, and I was about twenty minutes early to school. I quickly got out of the bus. Here goes nothing.

I didn't see many cars yet, just a few. I quickly reached the main office, and asked for my schedule.

"Hello dear, how are you?" Asked the receptionist.

"Fine. I'm new here, the last name is Swan, Isabella."

"Hold on a minute." I just nodded my head, and looked around the office. Her voice cut all my thoughts.

"Here you go, and I attached a map."

"Thank-you, have a nice day," I told her sincerely. She looked a little taken aback. Maybe students here weren't always polite to the adults around the school.

"You too dear."

My first subject was english, and I just decided that walking around would cause attention, so I just went into the school which was nicely heated. The teacher looked up.

"Hi I'm Isabella Swan. I'm new here."

"Oh yes, let me sign your slip, and here's a course syllabus for the rest of the year. Have you read the books on the list?"

"Yes, many times they're my favorites." He gave me a strange look, and I understood why. Kids in this school didn't appreciate classics. I honestly didn't blame them. If you read a book in school, you are more likely to hate it then if you were reading it in your spare time.

"Good then, you may take the third seat in the middle row."

"Thank-you sir."

"Oh and Isabella, here's a copy of the book that we are currently reading." I smiled.

"No need, I'm currently reading Wuthering Heights right now, and I have my own copy."

"Okay, good luck on your first day." While I was sitting, other students started coming in, looking at me. I was worried about friends, so why not start making new ones. I had always been shy, but it was time to change that. A pretty tall girl came down to sit next to me.

"You must be new here, I'm Angela Weber."

"Nice to meet you Angela, Isabella, Bella for short."

"Nice to meet you too. Would you like to have lunch with me?" I smiled at her, and I was actually having fun meeting new people.

"That would be great! Maybe we have a class together right before lunch starts." As soon as I had said the words, I pulled out my schedule. She schimmed it over really quickly.

"Spanish, with Ms. Rosalinda. I have her too, cool. Did you bring your lunch, or are you buying it from the cafeteria?"

"Buying. You?"

"Same." Mr. Banner then spoke, and I was praying that he wouldn't introduce me.

"Alright class, settle down. Today we will be having a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights, chapters 10-13. No talking." His eyes briefly rested on me, and I nodded my head that I was ready to take it. He started distributing them.

Once I had recieved my paper, I looked at the quiz. Twenty multiple choice, this should be easy. I was done withing three minutes, and I raised my hand. Mr. Banner came over to collect it, and the rest of the class was still working. Once English was over, my day passed without incident, and then I had Spanish, but unfortunately I didn't sit next to Angela, instead I was sitting next to a girl with wild curly hair, who was short.

"Hi, I'm Jessica Stanley, you must be the new girl Isabella." She was friendly and smiling.

"Yes. My full name is Isabella, but I prefer Bella."

"Cool. You want to sit next to me at lunch?" Uh oh. I had already said yes to Angela, but I didn't want to dissapoint Jessica.

"Actually Jessica, I already agreed to sit next to Angela, but maybe tommorow?" I asked her shyly, wondering if I had hurt her feelings.

"Cool. I sit with Angela. We sit at a pretty big table, I'll introduce you to everyone."

"Thanks." After that, the teacher told us to be quiet, so we stopped talking. The bell rung, and I was suddenly nervous. Jessica and I waited for Angela.

"Thanks for waiting. I see you've met Jess, Bella?"

"Yep."

"Alright lets go."

We walked through the cafeteria, and I saw the table that we were heading to. They're were about ten people, and they all looked nice, except for a girl who was glaring. Angela noticed my gaze, and whispered.

"That's Lauren Mallory, she's fairly rude, so don't mind her."

"Thanks for the warning," I whispered back.

I quickly bought lunch, and sat down between Angela and Jess. A blonde boy started talking to me.

"I'm Mike, you're Isabella, and I correct?"

"Yes, but Bella for short."

"Cool." He started talking about classes, and teachers, and what notes to study for tests. I was paying attention, but then my gaze wandered over to a table of beautiful people. They were talking amongst themselves, not being too loud. Mike was done, and started talking to another boy called, Eric, I think. I turned to Jess.

"Um Jess...who are the people sitting at that table?" She noticed the direction of my gaze.

"Oh those are the Cullens and the Hales, all foster children, Alice Cullen is the short one, she's dating Jasper. Rosalie Hale, the blonde is dating Emmet Cullen."

"Wow," was all I could say.

"Yeah, they're pretty nice, a little shy, but nice." The small one, Alice turned around, and smiled at me. I smiled back. Lunch finally ended.

I made my way to biology, and Mike was in the same class, we walked together. Mike was already sitting next to a girl, so I couldn't sit with him. The whole class was seated now, staring at me.

"Mr. Fieldsman, where should I sit?"

"Oh hi, it's Isabella, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, at the table in the back, the seat to the right." He seemed just a little nervous.

"Thank-you."

"Bella, if there is anything wrong with your seating arrangement, don't hesitate to ask me."

"Definetly," I smiled. A table that was empty in the back. Why had he acted so nervous though about placing me there? It's not like I would talk, and be loud. I was never a troublemaker, I had a spotless record, and a 4.0

We were about thirty minutes into the class, when I heard a loud bang from the back door, I was actually listening to the teacher, and the whole class looked back, and then up front again. I guessed that they were used to this. The teacher just glared.

"Mr. Cullen, detention after school, my room. Please take your seat," Mr. Fieldsman said in a bored voice, like he did this everyday. And I didn't doubt that he did this everyday from the look of all of the bored faces. Oh god, this was why the teacher was nervous about placing me here because Cullen was going to sit next to me.

He quickly took his seat next to me, and I kept taking notes, ignoring him. This was actually something that we hadn't covered much in Pheonix, and I didn't want to get a B. Edward just kept staring at me. I had to tell him to look somewher else, he was making me self conscious.

There was no denying that the guy was hot. He had untidy bronze hair, and emerald green eyes, and was very muscular. He wore a simple black shirt, with faded jeans. Why was he still staring at me?

"Excuse me," I said in the most polite voice that I could manage, "can I help you?" He just snickered at that.

"Angel child," he snickered again.

"Excuse me?"

"You always take notes like this?" His tone was a little more friendly, but I didn't trust him.

"Yes, actually I do. Now, if there's anything I can do for you, then say it. If not, please pay attention to the teacher, or something else, just stop staring at me."

"I never pay attention," he whispered under his breath. The idiot was still staring.

"I specifically asked you if you needed something. As I have said before if there is anything that I c..." He cut me off.

"Not unless you want to go make out in the back of my car, well then, nothing." Oh. My. God.

"What did you just say?" I asked him very quietly, not daring to believe what I just heard. Apparently he didn't care about repeating it.

"You, after school, can come and make out with me in the back of my car."

"What is wrong with you?" I asked him in an acid voice.

"No, I didn't think you would want to. I'll stop staring at you now." He looked away. I wanted to cry, I had to excuse myself from class, there were twenty minutes left. No, that would show him the satisfaction of winning, so I just kept taking notes. When it was five minutes till the bell, he started to get up. I quickly whispered to him.

"Cullen," what else could I call him, I didn't know his first name, "I hate you! You ever say that to me again, or anything like it, I'll make you suffer so much, you'll wish that you were in detention." He just smiled at me.

"I've had worse than detention," and he strode out of the room. What a jerk, maybe I should tell an adult. No, I was almost an adult myself, I wasn't going to go tattling on him. He was clearly trouble, no question about that. And what did he mean by, "I've had worse than detention."? I was so relieved when the bell had finally rung.

"Angela," I asked her quietly, "is it normal for Cullen to bring girls at the back of his car, and make out with them?" I whispered.

"Yeah, he's really an idiot, local bad boy if you want to call him that. Did he ask you that?" I nodded my head slowly.

"Just ignore him, he's a jerk." I shared her opinion about the jerk part.

"Okay. What's his first name?"

"Edward." Edward? I hated him, and would never talk to him again.

**Review and tell me if I should continue. Also, everyone's human. Also, I just made Mr. Banner the English teacher on purpose. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

I left class five minutes early. Once I was out of the classroom, I couldn't contain my amusement, and I burst out laughing. The girl sitting next to me had been so funny. What had happened was hysterical. I only wanted to piss her off, and I had succeeded. If I had thought that she would have actually wanted to come and make out with me, I would have never made the offer.

What was she threatening me with? Suspension? I had gotten that plenty of times, and believe me, sleeping late was divine. My parents Carlisle and Esme had done everything to try and discipline me, but everything had failed, so they just let me sleep in.

Anyway, a detention was nothing, all I had to do was skip. I had recieved far worse than suspension. Lets not even talk about me and jail.

I didn't even want to sit next to the girl anymore, she was so annoying. Taking notes, when you know that you're going to get an A? That's such a waste of time. Nothing about her was special. She boring, and not pretty at all. I couldn't say that she was ugly, but she was not my type, not at all.

I had planned to meet my friends outside, and here I was, except no one was here. What the hell? Were they in the principal's office again? I had been there many times, and while the king of the school droned on and on about how school property was not something to vandalize, and that everyone should be able to enjoy it. Blah blah blah.

Quickly, I snuck back into the school, and looked through the main office. Yup, I was right. Brad was in there, with Patrick. Oh god.

I left class early to stand outside by myself, watching the grass grow?! This was absolutely pitiful. I decided to go to my next class because my friends would probably be in there for a while. Math, the only class I had a B in. I never studied for tests, but I paid attention to the teacher, and managed to get a high B every quarter. When I entered. I was early, and the teacher looked up like she had just seen hell freeze over.

"Mr. Cullen? Do you need math help?"

"No. I just felt like coming in early today."

"Go sit in your seat." I nodded my head briefly, then tried to go to sleep. When class started, we were just going over what we had done yesterday, and I continued to try and sleep.

"Mr. Cullen?" What?

"Yes?"

"Your answer please."

"To what?"

"My question," the math teacher repeated it. Oh, that was easy. I answered it, and got it right. She looked at me strangely, then moved on. Five more minutes till the bell, I desperately wanted to leave, but I had come on time, so why not leave on time? Finally I heard the stupid bell, and I ran out of my seat. I saw my friends casually walking in the hall.

"Brad? What the hell was going on in the principal's office? What did you do this time?"

"The old man was going crazy because I had failed a class. He does this to me every single time, it's a nightmare." I looked at Brad, but then relaxed. Seeing my approval, he spoke.

"Where were you doing during 6th period?"

"I went," I replied simply.

"You what?"

"I went to class. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Nothing I guess. We going home early today?"

"Sure, why not. Let's go have a cigarette once we're outside." We smiled, and Patrick came running down the hall, and I saw a couple of girls looking at him and sighing.

"You guys going home early?"

"Yeah, you coming?"

"Do you honestly think that I want to sit in French class listening to the teacher prattle on about culture, or teaching us about vocabulary words. What's her name again?" I sighed.

"Um, I don't know." Brad said.

"I'm not in her class," I told him.

"Speaking about classes, you'll never believe what happened to me today!" They looked at me doubtfully.

"A girl jumped on you?"

"I wish, anyone but the girl I was sitting next to."

"Who was she?"

"The new girl. Do you know what her name is by the way?"

"You serious, you got stuck sitting next to her. I feel very sorry for you man. I heard her name's Isabella or something like that."

"Well, I asked Isabella if she wanted to come to my car, and make out. The expression on her face was priceless. She then procceded to threaten me with something worse than detention. I told her that I'd had far worse." They cackled like maniacs.

"I feel even more sorry for you, you have to sit next to some perfection for an hour every day?"

"Who said that I had so sit next to her for an hour? I came in thirty minutes late! Teacher gave me detention. I'm not going obviously. This is probably the tenth one that I've skipped."

"Good for you man, good for you."

"You guys want to go to Seattle this weekend, today's Friday," Brad asked.

"I know that today's Friday, and of course we're going to a club, we should bring others as well. I can only fit five in my Volvo, so two more."

"Didn't your parents say that they would confiscate it or something?"

"They did, and I just threatened that I would have you guys drive me. They let it go after that."

"You bringing your siblings?"

"Alice and Emmet? Please. They're almost as bad as that Isabella girl."

"That was very nice what you did to her. I don't think that even I could have thought of something as good." They both grinned. I took out a pack of cigarettes, and lighted one.

"You two have yours?"

"Yeah, you think we would walk around without any?"

"Maybe."

"Only in your dreams." I grinned.

"So, what time Saturday?" I asked them casually.

"Hmm...How about 4:00, that work? It takes about four hours to get there, then we have to check in to the hotel and everything," said Patrick.

"Perfect. I'll take care if the rest, should I reserve one room or two?" I told them.

"Two would be best. Hey, will we be able to get in?" Patrick asked. That was so like Patrick, he was bad but not as bad as the rest of us.

"Of course. Where there's a will, there's a way, specially when there are hot girls dancing right next to you," I grinned, already imagining myself.

"Let's have a competition. The one of us that has made out with the most girls at the end of the night wins," Brad said.

"Deal."

"I'll pick you all up, who else should we bring? David and Luke?"

"Good idea."

"No," I said, "I've got an even better idea. Let's bring Isabella." They burst out laughing.

"She has no fun in life, you think she would go clubbing?"

"Why not?" I said, in a joking manner. I couldn't even picture her there, wearing some miniskirt, with a revealing top.

"Yeah, why not?" Patrick repeated, laughing.

"All right, tommrow at two then, bring money, you're going to need it."

"Need it for what?" Brad asked.

"Beer," I said simply. I got to my car, waved, then sped off. I was passing by, when I saw the Isabella girl waiting at the bus stop. The bus honestly wasn't the safest place on the planet, sometimes drunk people were on it. No need to mention that that was what I was going to be in a little over 24 hours. Maybe I could offer her a ride. No way, she would just refuse. I just drove on.

Once I finally pulled into my driveway, I just strolled into the house, and I knew that my parents would definetly not even talk to me about skipping. But I saw Esme. She came out of the kitchen.

"Have a good day Edward?" She asked quietly.

"It was splendid."

"Good, you reek of cigarettes by the way, I don't know what I did wrong Edward, I just don't know," she was murmuring mostly to herself. I just left, and didn't say a word, going into the shower.

Alice showed up at the top of the stairs.

"You know Edward, all of the girls think that you're hot. You'll start looking ugly if you keep smoking," she said in a smug sort of way.

"I'll think about that when it actually happens." Quickly getting a towel, I got into the shower. The hot water relaxed my muscles, and I felt ready for tommorow. I had to think. We had to stay in a hotel, and we couldn't afford more than two rooms. Where should we stay? Once I got out of the shower, I brushed my teeth three times. The scent was gone.

I had been saving money from an after school job, and I had about $500. That should be enough, but I didn't want to spend it all. I would bring about $200. If the others brought the same, then we would be fine.

Quickly, I got to bed.

Saturday...

I woke up at one in the afternoon, and slowly made my way out of bed. I was downstairs eating breakfast when Carlisle came in.

"When are you going to be back?" He asked with no emotion in his voice. The truth was, my parents had given up on me. In middle school, I had only had As and Bs. All that changed in the 10th grade. I started getting Ds and Es. They stopped punishing me, and left me alone. Sometimes I felt guilty, but mostly I just enjoyed the freedom.

"Sometime on Sunday, I think."

"Okay."

"Bye Edward, have fun."

Not looking at him, I mumbled a quiet thanks. I quickly called up David and Luke.

"Hello?" Said a groggy voice, Luke's.

"I didn't wake you up or anything did I?"

"Sorta, what do you want?"

"Listen, Patrick and Brad are coming with me to Seattle, to go partying, and we have two avaible seats in the Volvo, you want to come?"

"What day?"

"Today, I'm picking them up at four. You coming?"

"Duh. Wouldn't want to miss a chance with the girls." I grinned wickedly, and told him about the contest we were planning.

"Sweet," he sighed, "we haven't had one of those in so long."

"Yep, it's about time we went clubbing. You got your fake ID?"

"Of course."

"Good. Bring some money too."

"Will do."

"Four right?"

"Yep, see you then." This was going to be great. No parents and plenty of girls.

"Who's the other person?"

"David, he might be a little hard to beat with the girls, but I usually win," I boasted, and it was true.

"Next to you, he's no competition," he mumbled, half asleep.

"We'll see," I grinned mostly to myself.

"See you around four." And he hung up. Now I had to call David.

"Hello?" David sounded even more asleep, and I had probably just completely woken him up.

"It's me, Edward."

"Oh, hey. Skipping class again today?"

"No, I don't usually call for that and today's Saturday, so of course I'm not skipping, I'm not even going to school."

"Right, sorry, I'm sort of sleepy, if you haven't noticed," he replied sarcastically. This subject was annoying me.

"Anyway, you in the mood to go somewhere around four?"

"Depends where it is."

"A road trip."

"Wow, that's specific." Always the sarcastic one.

"Yeah, very. Listen, you in the mood to go clubbing in Seattle?" I heard him get out of his bed, then an "Ouch."

"Sorry man, just fell out of the bed. Hell yeah, when are you picking us up?"

"Four."

"Four, okay. I'll be ready."

"Good. Oh, and David, we're going to see who can make out with the most girls. Don't even bother denying that I won't win."

"We'll see, but you're going to have to compete well, if you wanta win."

"Bring some money too. I don't know if I have enough for all of us. We still have to rent two hotel rooms."

"We spending the night?"

"Obviously."

"Okay, I'll bring $300."

"Good."

"See you soon Edward." Once he hung up, I had nothing else to do. I decided to go downstairs and eat breakfast. Unfortunately, Alice was there. My most annoying sibling who was always trying to pry into my life.

"Hey Edward, Carlisle tells me that you're going somewhere?"

"He's correct. What's it to you?"

"Oh, you might want to have someone who doesn't get drunk, just so that you won't crash. I reccomend that it be you, since it's your car," she said in an off-hand tone.

"Alice, I think I can take care of my life, don't worry. And I'm not going to get drunk." She rolled her eyes.

"Sure you won't, and you didn't get arrested last time for getting caught smoking pot in the streets?"

"That's honestly none of your business. If I ruin my future, then that's my problem."

"You're right, it's none of my business, but I still love you, and worry for you."

"Great, I'll be home sometime Sunday."

"Good, do you really mean Monday, meaning two in the morning, or actually Sunday?"

"Not sure."

"Whatever Edward, have fun wherever you're going. I'd be careful if I were you."

I simply waved her off with my hand. She was so perfect in my parents' eyes. Straight As. She was so perfect, that if she got anything below an A, she was devastated.

She actually got a B once in her freshman year, and cried. How pathetic is that. I wanted to point out to her, that I never got straight As. My grades then were still a mix of As and Bs in my first year of high school.

I went to go shower, and got ready before I had to go pick up my friends. I needed a cell phone, and house key. Quickly stuffing them in my pockets, I went to go brush my teeth, thinking about girls.

**Last chapter, I know that the beginning was a lot like the first chapter of Twilight. I did that on purpose because I wanted to introduce how Bella's parents viewed her as a "Perfect Child". Please review, and a huge thanks to everyone else that already has. Sorry about the mistake where Bella knew Edwards name, she wasn't supposed too, thanks for mentioning it to me. And nothing's wrong with getting straight As, it's just how Edward views it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

I could not believe what had happened with that Edward person. Who says something like that to a person that you don't know? And it was annoying how he was going to arrive late every class period. I had actually been listening to something important, a test date. Thanks to bad boy, I didn't get a chance to hear it. It could be tommorow for all I knew.

Maybe I should change my seat, but that would be selfish to condemn someone else to sit next to the devil's child. Who cared if he was hot? He wasn't sane.

Forks was such a small town, that I never expected to meet someone so rude, and disrespectful. What an idiot. I went upstairs, to start my homework. I wanted to talk to Charlie about the Cullens, and find out if I should avoid them entirely. But when the other girl from the Cullen family had smiled, it seemed genuine, and friendly. Alice, I think that's what her name is, seemed the opposite of her brother.

"Hey dad, you know the Cullens?" His face darkened a little bit. Uh oh.

"Are they a nice family?"

"Oh definetly, Dr. Cullen is chief-surgeon of Forks. Their children are very nice. Alice and Emmet are brother and sister."

"What about the Hales?"

"They live with the Cullens, and I haven't had any trouble from any of them." I could see that he was keeping something from me, and I didn't need three guesses as to what is was.

"Do you know about a certain Edward Cullen?" I asked timidly.

Once the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them instantly. What if he asked me if Edward had done anything? I could just say that a girl from school had told me about him. Luckily, I didn't have to do anything like that.

"All he does is cause trouble. I don't want to go into details."

"Okay."

"But his siblings are nice, correct?"

"Oh yeah, you should get to know them."

"Yes, Alice smiled at me today."

"Good, I've never had any trouble with them."

"Thanks dad. Love you, good night."

"You too Bella, sleep well."

"Thanks." I smiled at him. I wanted to get out of Forks, and explore Port Angeles a little bit, and maybe go down to La Push for a while. There were some old family friends down there.

"Oh, and Bella," Charlie said, I was midway up the stairs, "maybe you should check the front yard tommorow morning, you might find a little surprise."

"Okay dad, are you going anywhere tommrow? Fishing?"

"Yes, I'll be leaving fairly early."

"Alright, good night." I was too exhausted to think about what Charlie had said, yet it didn't make any sense. Check the front yard? Whatever. My head was still filled with my hatred for him, I didn't even want to think about his name anymore. Once I was done getting ready, I fell asleep into a dreamless sleep, as soon as my head hit the pillow.

**Saturday...**

I woke up at around noon, and the sun shone brightly outside. Another day of sunshine again, I knew that it wouldn't last for long, but I should go take another walk. I was a little more relaxed today, since it was the weekend. Charlie had said something about looking at the front yard.

I quickly went down the stairs, and opened the door. And there, shining in the sun was a car, with a bright red bow on it. Was that for me? I went to the counter to see if Charlie had left anything. I saw car keys, and an envelope. I started to read it.

**_Bella,_**

**_I hope you like your gift, I figured you didn't want to be seen in a car with red and blue lights on top. Now you can drive yourself to school, I'm sorry that you had to take the bus, but here are the keys, enjoy._**

**_Love,_**

**_Dad_**

Oh. My. God. My personal vehicle. He had already bought it and everything. It was a nice honda, that was silver.

My mother and I had practiced driving in Pheonix, and I had my liscence, just no car. I grabbed my keys, and quickly opened the car. It turned on without a problem, and ran perfectly fine. I decided to go to Port Angeles first, then La Push.

While I was driving on the highway, I saw a BMW, that was funny, you didn't really see those in Forks. Oh well.

After an hour of driving, I came accross a clothes store. Why not go shopping? I didn't have many clothes that were "Forks" appropriate. Once I got inside the store, I saw that the clothes were reasonably priced, and they looked nice.

While I was looking at a sweater, I saw a two faces that were both familiar and beautiful. Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale. Alice spotted me, and I saw her dash over to where I was standing.

"Hi, you're the new girl, Isabella, right?"

"Yeah, Bella for short," I smiled a her timidly. She smiled back.

"Bella, then. So, what are you doing here?"

"My wardrobe isn't exactly suitable for the weather here, so I decided to buy more clothes." Alice frowned at me.

"You're in the wrong section," she said, still frowning.

"What do you mean?" She pointed to where Rosalie was standing.

"That's where you should be. These clothes are too dull," she said, looking at the sweaters.

"Alice, I can't afford anything from the designers section, I don't have enough money!"

"We'll cover the rest for you," she chirped happily. What? I barely knew her. What she was offering was far too much for someone she had just met.

"Thank you Alice, I appreciate it really, but I couldn't just have you spending money on me. Maybe next time." She pouted, but I wouldn't give in.

"At least let me help you shop for clothes. Not everything here is hopeless." I smiled at her.

"That would be nice, thanks."

"Cool." Alice then proceeded to throw items of clothing at me. Rosalie quickly joined us, and then joined her at picking out clothes. By the time that they were finished, we had about 25 items of clothing.

"Are you sure that they're going to let us in with all of this. I think the maximum per person is ten or something like that."

"I'll take one third of the clothes, Rosalie likewise, and you too."

"Okay." Alice and Rosalie had completely stopped shopping for themselves, and were now only focusing on me.

"Thank you so much for doing this."

"Our pleasure," Rosalie said, "It's nice to have someone else to shop with besides my sister."

"Are you telling me that I'm no fun?" Alice asked with a frown on her face. Rosalie just laughed.

"I meant that it's nice to have someone else with us. Don't you ever get tired of it being only the both of us?" Rosalie asked her sister.

"I have to agree with you on that," she sighed. I giggled, and they joined me. The person waiting at the table for the dressing room was a male, and immediately perked up at the sight of the three of us. He was looking directly at me for some reason.

"How may I help you young ladies today?"

"Well, we would like to try these clothes on," Alice said.

"Good choices, have fun." He picked up a magazine. When we were deep enough in the dressing room hall, the three of us burst out laughing.

"He was totally crushing on you Bella," Alice said in the most quiet voice possible.

"Oh please, yeah, I'm sure that that's what he was doing," I said sarcastically.

"He didn't look at either of us once," Rosalie stated.

"Oh well, we should get started, trying all of these on will take forever." They started handing me the clothes that they thought were the best of what they had picked out. I had to say that they had an amazing sense of style, and it didn't take as long as I expected. I had $150 with me, and only ended up spending $120 for 2 longs sleeved shirts, 3 sweaters, and 2 pairs of dark colored jeans.

"Thank you so so much."

"Oh my god, we should totally do this again," Alice squealed with delight, but then her face turned somber.

"Rose, I wonder where my dear brother went, he's supposed to leave at four."

"Emmet?"

"Of course not Rose, the stupid one who's ruining his life," she muttered.

"What is with him anyway, he used to maintain some level of sanity before."

"I don't know. Whatever. Bella?" Alice looked at me concerned. I knew exactly who they were talking about, and I didn't want to think about him. Alice was completely the opposite of her brother. How they could be related to each other, astounded me.

"Are you talking about," I gulped, "Edward?" Alice saw the look on my face.

"Oh god, I'm going to kill him. What did he say to you?"

"Nothing," I sighed. Alice looked at me skeptically for a minute, then let it go.

"I should probably get home now. Thank-you for spending the afternoon with me. I didn't interupt anything that you were doing, did I?" Alice and Rosalie laughed.

"Of course not, shopping is a fun activity for us, and like Rose said before, it's nice to have a new shopping partner. Can we pick you up next week at around noon, and go to Seattle instead?" Friends, that's what I had wanted all along, and so far everything was going great.

"Of course, or would you rather I picked you up instead? I got a new car today."

"It's fine, thanks though. You want to sit at lunch with us on Tuesday?"

"That would be great, thanks!"

"Alright, see you then. We're bringing you to some designer stores on Saturday."

"Alice, I honestly can't afford it," I sighed.

"You don't need to, we'll cover for you."

"No, but..." She cut me off.

"Cool, see you on Tuesday, Rose and I will be busy on Monday." They waved to me, and then went off to a the red BMW that I had seen before, they had a nice ride.

I went to my Honda, and decided to skip La Push. Shopping had wiped out all of the energy from me, and I just wanted to take a nap.

**Cullen household...**

**EPOV**

It was 3:30 in half and hour, we would be gone, and off to Seattle to go partying. I brought a sports bag, and packed. Then I saw my fake ID and cigarettes on my nightstand. If I had forgotten those, for sure I would have been doomed.

I got into my Volvo, and went to go pick up Brad first, since he was closest. He was grinning when he saw me, and we smacked our fists together.

"How are you?"

"Much better now," Brad said, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"How much did you bring? I brought $200."

"Same, everyone else bringing money?"

"Yeah, we should have enough for two hotel rooms."

"What club are we going to?"

"The wildest one that we can find."

"And most crowded too, with lots of single chicks."

"Even better," I sighed. I picked up the rest of my friends, and now we were talking about where to get dinner.

"Should we really get dinner, if we're going to be drunk afterwards? Aren't we just going to puke right after?" I asked them skeptically.

"True man, but I'm starving. We all brought $200 right, we can afford food."

"Yeah, we have about a thousand dollars, what do you want to eat?" Brad suggested McDonalds. Whenever I ate McDonalds, I felt like puking in my best condition.

"No, no, no. Are you kidding me? We'll all get nauseous before we even get to the freakin club."

"What do you want to eat then?" Brad challenged me.

"Chinese?" We were all agreed. We were going along the highway, when I saw a sign for Panda Express. Perfect. Everyone except me bought food.

"Good choice," David said, with his mouth full. We laughed at him.

"What do you think the girls will be like?" I asked them, only half paying attention.

"I don't know, but nice lookin, that's for sure," David responded.

"Yeah, they always do."

**2 hours later...**

"Halfway there. Anyone need to stop, to use the mens room?"

"Yeah, there a rest stop anywhere?"

"In a mile or so." None of us was talking, so I just listened to the hum of the engine. I got off of the highway, and we all went to go do our business. I spotted some girls who were looking particularly fine. Time to flirt.

I casually strolled up to them. "You two lovely ladies lost?" They giggled.

"You're not that bad looking yourself handsome, and a gentleman too." I gave them my best smile. They looked dazzled.

"Why thank-you."

"As to answer your prior question, no we're not lost. What about yourself, good looking?"

"Not really, but if I had to pick a place to be lost, I would choose here," I told them in a silky voice. They giggled some more.

"We could say the same."

"Well ladies, I must get back, it was nice chattin."

"Anytime handsome, anytime." I walked away.

"What was that all about?" Asked David, confused.

"Just practicing for the club," I told them serenely.

"You think you're well prepared?" Brad asked.

"Absolutely. David, maybe we should just skip this competition, and just make out with one the girl for the whole evening." He chuckled at my response.

"Nervous about getting beat, Cullen?"

"Nah, just not in the mood," I told him serenly. The guys in the back laughed.

"Hey Edward," Patrick said, "why aren't you smoking?"

"I don't want to reek of cigarrettes, I can do that after the party," I grinned at them.

"Do you guys ever think of buying motorcycles?"

"Yes, but that will never happen."

"And why not? Are our parents gonna stop us?" David asked. Unfortunately, my parents probably would.

"Mine would. Even though they've given up, still, they would probably sell it if they saw it."

"True."

"And what's the point of us owning one, if you don't? None."

"Do whatever you want, it doesn't matter to me. Don't ruin your fun," I told them.

"Nah, we have enough fun clubbing and drinking. Drunk on a motorcycle is just a little too risky," Luke said, animated.

"True. You think there'll be Ecstasy there?" David asked, excited.

"Possibly, depends whose there. What, you think you're going to be dancing all night?" I asked him, snickering.

"Maybe, it gets you closer to the girls."

"Whatever. David, have fun."

"No, you're right, it's better to make out with one girl the whole night." We all snickered, and kept driving. A nagging thought in the back of my head asked me if this is what I really wanted, being drunk and doing drugs, and getting arrested. I pushed the thought away, of course this is what I wanted, I wasn't going to change.

"Hey Edward?" Luke asked, breaking my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"We going to be back in time for school?"

"Yeah, I'm probably going to go," I said without even thinking. Wait a minute, what did I just say? That I wanted to go to school? Then I relaxed, I wanted to torture the Isabella girl in Biology.

"Did you just say you were going to school?"

"Yep, remember Isabella?" They laughed, and then we started discussing the hotel.

"Hey, where are we staying?"

"Marriot?"

"Sounds good, only one night, how many hours are we staying at the club?" I asked.

"Three?" Brad asked.

"Sounds good. Then we can leave at three, and get back home, and sleep," I said. I had not had dinner with my family in months, they would like it if I was there on time.

"Cool. It's about eight o'clock, let's check in now." Once we entered the hotel, the recptionist started flattening her hair, I don't know which one of us she was staring at.

"Hello boys, what can I do for you?"

"Two rooms, with two double beds in each," I told her, flashing her the best smile that I had. She looked at me for a minute, then quickly turned to her computer.

"Rooms 101, and 102. Have a pleasant night."

"Thank you, I'm sure we will," I was still the only one speaking. Her eyes flashed up to David, then back to her computer. She could only be about twenty years old. We walked to the elevator, and I could see that I was the only one who had packed.

"Where are your things?"

"Um...at our houses. Why, do we need them?"

"Um, hygiene?"

"Right," Brad said, "right. Well, um we can go buy them?" I looked at them like they were crazy.

"Excuse me? You think we have enough money for all of that. Remember that we still have to get into the club, and there's going to be a fee, and we're five people. We can't afford to get other things. We still have to pay for gas too. Remember?"

"Whatever." They seemed so drowsy, it was really weird.

"Why are you so tired?"

"Don't know, we'll be ready for the club, no worries."

"Okay," I said doubtfully.

"Brad and David, take room 101, Partick, Luke, and me will sleep in 102. Meet down here at 11:30. I've got the perfect place. We'll take the Volvo down there, and I'll keep both hotel keys with me, and a cell phone. Good night."

"Same to you Edward. Can you give us a wake up call?" What?

"Okay. Sure."

"See you soon." They had three hours to sleep, since it was now 8:30. This was going to be some night. We then went up to our different rooms. We were agreed that Patrick would sleep on the floor.

**Hope you liked it. Next is going to be the club, and I'll have a part with Bella and him at school. Edward will get nicer! Remember, that for now, they hate each other. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

It was 11:00, and I was going to call room 101, first I had to wake up Patrick and Luke. I went to go brush my teeth first, glad that I had packed for the night, putting on fresh clothes.

"Patrick, Luke. Wake up," I tried verbally first, it might not work.

"What the hell? Edward? Oh my god," Luke said loudly, "clubbing. Patrick man, get up." Once Patrick had stood up, he looked as excited as Luke.

"Yeah," I nodded eagerly, "Let's call Brad and David." I dialed the room number, and let it ring ten times. No one was there. Maybe they were downstairs.

"Patrick, they're not answering, I'm going to go downstairs really quickly. As I was walking towards the elevator, Alice's voice came into my head. _Oh, you might want to have someone who doesn't get drunk, just so that you won't crash. I reccomend that it be you, since it's your car. _That was actually a good idea. I might have a beer, but I would not get drunk. What was wrong with me? Where was all this sense coming from?

I got downstairs, and they were waiting there. Thank god I wouldn't have to bang on their door like some crazy man, and wake up the whole hotel.

"Hey Edward, you ready?"

"Definetly. Why didn't you call me to tell me that you would be downstairs?"

"Sorry man."

"Doesn't matter, I'll go get Patrick, and Luke..." I hadn't finished my sentence, when Patrick and Luke showed up.

"Did you bring the hotel keys?" I whispered to them?" They just handed me the room keys, and I stuffed them in my pocket, along with the car keys, and a cell phone.

"Ready?"

"To make out with a girl?" David asked with his usual devilish smile.

"That's one way to put it I guess."

"Am I ever anything but ready?" David asked me.

"Sometimes."

"Alright let's go, someone's bound to complain if we keep standing here in the lobby.' Patrick told us, worried. We nodded, and headed out to the Volvo. I drove for about 15 minutes, and then stopped. I parked in an alley, that was littered with trash.

"You couldn't pick a more clean spot?"

"They're all the same, I just picked the one that was closest to the club. You all have your IDs?"

"Yeah," they whispered.

"Alright, let's go." It was around midnight, and when we arrived to the club, the line wasn't long. The guy that looked at us was very bored, probably a little drunk because he just let us in without a word. Apparently it was free. Nice.

"That was easy," I told them.

"Very. What are we going to do?"

"Whatever you want, I'm probably only going to have one beer for the night," I told them, giving them a look not to comment.

"Okay, you're missing out on all of the fun. Oh well."

"Yeah," I agreed verbally, but mentally I disagreed.

"Alright, around three or so, we meet at the bar, okay? Ask someone for the time, I don't want to have to come looking for you in this croud." They nodded, and we went our own ways. I went directly to the bar, and asked for a beer.

"Taroma?" The guy nodded, and came back with it. I gave him a five. While getting a seat at a nearby table, I scanned the girls, and looked at the room. It was a typical rave club. The room was dark, with flashing lights, and smoke, and I smelled cigarrettes. Turns out I didn't have to go to a girl, but several came up to me.

"Hey handsome," a blonde in a silver dress, and matching stilleto heels said. She was by far the prettiest, and I then knew who my dance partner was going to be for the rest of the night.

"You're not bad looking yourself," I told her in a silky voice.

"Lovely," she sighed.

"Can I help you?"

"I can think of a thing or two. Care to dance?" She asked me in a sexy voice. I had come across many girls in my life, but this one seemed to have the whole flirting thing down pat. It didn't sound fake.

"Of course. Though I think that I'm making your friends jealous of you."

"They'll live," she said simply. The rave music started, and I was already dancing to the beat, and she came to join me.

"Nice moves," she said. I complemented her back, and she flashed me a smile that was lovely.

"That's not the only thing that's nice about you," I said.

"What else is nice?"

"Your face," I said, softly touching it.

"I was hoping you would say that, what's your name anyway?"

"Edward."

"Edward. A little old fashioned?"

"Yes," I smiled at her. She giggled. The good thing about this girl was that she wasn't drunk. I had only taken two sips of my beer, and it actually felt nice to be coherent.

"Yours?" I whispered in her ear.

"Lexi, a little more modern than yours."

"I agree, it's a very nice name."

"You have a girlfriend?" She asked in a sexy voice.

"Do you think I have one?" I whispered to her. My lips starting to brush against her ear.

"No. You seem far too much of a gentleman to cheat." She was very wrong about that.

"I saw you had a beer in your hand when you were talking to me, you don't seem twenty one," I was still whispering.

"You don't seem twenty one either. Maybe I was wrong about the gentleman part, but your looks make up for it."

"I can say the same for you." More giggling. Yes, this was far more enjoyable when I wasn't drugged up, or drunk. Very nice. She didn't even know how bad I was. Vandalizing, and then getting put in jail for a couple of day for it. This girl was very very nice. She talked, she was sexy, and pretty, and didn't seem crazy.

Suddenly, the music became slow. I didn't want this girl to feel the need to dance with me, so I took my arms off of her, and gave her some space. She looked sad.

"You done dancing?" She pouted. I smiled at her.

"Only if you are."

"No, I'm not," and an angel's smile lit her face, "I'm not even closed to finished, it's only been half an hour." And we started slow dancing. I looked back really quickly at her friends who were really glaring at her now, she noticed the direction of my gaze.

"They'll live, I always get the hot guys. But by far, you're the cutest I've come accross."

"Thank you, I appreciate the compliment, and I can return it." She kept laughing. I wondered what time it was, who cared, it couldn't be three yet. Suddenly, she steered me towards a dark corner.

We could still here the music outside, and everybody dancing. What was she doing? Right, she wanted to kiss, people did that in the corners. Her lips were then on mine, and I eagerly kissed her back.

"You're definetly not a gentleman," she whispered. I chuckled. She then stuck her tongue in my mouth. She was a very good kisser.

"Where are you from?" I whispered to her, when we had parted briefly to breathe.

"Florida," she sighed. Florida?

"What are you doing in Seattle?"

"Vacation." Her lips were on mine again. I had to confess that, I had never gone farther than kissing with anyone.

"You're lovely," she sighed. Despite where I was, I was starting to get uncomfortable. It seemed like a while had passed. There was no click with this girl. She was interesting, and pretty. But I felt no romantic feelings, just the pleasure of kissing and dancing.

"Want to head back to the dance floor?"

"Yes, it is getting a bit hot here," she was looking at a couple that was coming near us. Walking out of the dark corner, I saw a mirror, and I got a look at myself, my hair was messy, and my shirt wrinkled.

We got back onto the dance floor, and started dancing again. Eventually, I parted ways with Lexi, and a petite brunette asked me to dance, and I did for another 25 minutes. Then, I went back to the bar, and waited for my friends. It was now 3:30, and they were nowhere in sight.

I honestly didn't want to look for them, but I wanted to sleep when I got home, and we had to get going. I saw David making out with some girl, his hands in places where they shouldn't be. I quickly tapped his shoulder, and he turned back, irritated. He was definetly drunk.

"What d'ya want?" He slurred his words.

"Time to go," I told him harshly.

"We have to go find the others," I told him, and he followed me slowly. Patrick was dancing, and clearly was not drunk, and then I saw Luke and Brad with girls, and they were drunk. Patrick saw me. I went over to him, with a frown on my face. The girl seeing my expression, quickly went away.

"What's up with you? You're not drunk, didn't you ask someone for the time?"

"No." He looked sorry.

"Whatever, do you have her number?" I nodded my head over to the girl he was just dancing with.

"Yeah."

"Good, can you help me get David, Brad, and Luke into the car after we?" Patrick smiled at the girl, then waved. She smiled back, then dissapeared into the croud. Quickly getting Brad and Luke, we went to the Volvo. I decided to put the ones who were drunk in the back seat. They were all asleep. I shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if Patrick and me had been drunk, we probably would have crashed. I was going to thank Alice when I got home.

"Let's sleep for a couple of hours at the hotel, then go. I want to be home on time for dinner."

"Okay, good idea. Since we're both sober, maybe one of us should go with Brad and David, and the other with Luke."

"Nice, I probably wouldn't have thought about that."

"Hey Edward," Patrick whispered, "why didn't you drink. I saw you buy a beer, but then you just went out with a girl, she wasn't bad looking either."

"I don't know, common sense told me not to. Let's get these three up to their rooms." David and Brad followed me awkwardly, stumbling around stupidly. Luke did the same with Patrick. I reeked of cigarrettes because everyone had been smoking, and personally, I was going to have one right before we left.

Brad and David collapsed onto the beds, and I just waited on the floor, and I almost fell asleep, but didn't.

It was now 7:30 am, and we had to get going. We put Brad, Luke, and David in the back again, I didn't want them bothering me while I was driving. That was some night, a good one. We had to do it again.

**4 hours later...**

We were finally back in Forks, and I had to stop twice because Brad and David had to puke, at least they didn't do it in my car. I had about $150 left, which was good. After dumping off my friends at their houses, I went back to my own.

I just parked in the driveway, and rested my head against the steering wheel, I was exhausted. It seemed so weird to be at home, at 11:30, and I didn't know if I was going to school or not.

I slowly went into to the house, and Alice stared at me with her mouth wide open.

"Edward, what are you doing here so early? Are you...drunk?" I responded in a perfectly clear voice, which surprised her even more.

"No, I just went clubbing, had a couple of sips of beer, and I'm going to bed now."

"Are you going to school tommorow?"

"I don't know, maybe after lunch."

"Whatever, are you actually having dinner with us tonight?"

"Yes." She stared at me, then said nothing. I was starving I realized. I got a glass of water, and some bread, and after I was done, went upstairs, and into bed.

Downstairs, I heard dishes being washed, and people going upstairs. I glanced at the clock, it was 10:00 pm. Shit. I had missed dinner because I was too tired. I went to go get ready, and saw no one. After getting ready, I went back to sleep.

Waking up once again, I saw that it was 8:00. School started at 7:00, and lunch was at noon. I went outside, and lit up a cigarette. No time to get high today. All of my common sense last night had evaporated, and I felt like getting into trouble. Skipping class was a good start, as well as smoking. After I was done, I went to shower twice, washing my hair very thouroughly, and brushing my teeth three times.

I remembered Isabella. Biology was now my favorite subject, it was so much fun. I was not talking about the material that we learned, just annoying the person next to me, to death. It was almost time for Bio, and I quickly left the house, speeding. I wanted to be on time today, and make it here before Isabella. I succesfully achieved my goal.

"Are you Edward Cullen?" I looked up at Isabella, and smirked.

"You found something else to call me than Cullen?" I asked her sarcastically.

"What, you want me to come up with something different than Edward?"

"I bet I can think of a few that are going through your head right now," I snickered.

**BPOV**

Edward had actually come in early today, but he smelled faintly of cigarettes.

"No, sorry, I don't insult people," I replied.

"Have you ever made out with anybody?" He asked me, grinning.

"No, and even if I had, it wouldn't be any of your business."

"You know," he started, "my offer still stands, you can come any time. Honestly, I have nothing better to do." I looked at him, sighed, then turned away.

"Hey, what are your grades like?" He asked me.

"Straight As. What are yours like?" I said in a dull voice. He ignored my question.

"So what would happen if you got a B one quarter? Would you run away screaming and threaten to kill yourself?" He snickered.

"What?" I asked in a harsh voice.

"Though, if you did get a B, you could always come with me into the back of my car, and I could make you in a better mood."

"Sorry, I don't trust you enough, not to rape me." He grinned wickedly.

"You just said that you didn't trust me enough. So if you did trust me, then you would do it?" This guy was being smart with me.

"Listen. I absolutely hate you." He was shaking with laughter. When would the bell ring, signifying that class had started?

"You hate me, do you? Well, miss perfection, I share the same feelings."

"Good."

Edward took out a math book? What was he doing with a math book? He then took out a sheet of paper, and started doing problems. It was the exact same homework that I had, and it had taken me an hour. Class had finally started. Mr. Fieldsman looked at Edward, and was taken aback that he was sitting next to me, on time.

I just watched Edward doing math problems all throughout Biolody, he was done in half an hour. He saw me staring.

"What's wrong. Am I too hot for you to look away? Is it the hair or the eyes?" I wanted to hit him.

"You're so full of it. I've never met anyone as arrogant as you. Why are you doing math problems?"

"It's the only thing I'm good at," he said, mostly to himself. How could someone so stupid be good at math? That was just the problem, he wasn't stupid. The fact that he was better at something than me was annoying.

I looked at the board for the rest of the class period, and 1 minute before the bell, I heard my name.

"Ms. Swan?" The whole class turned to look at me, including Edward who had a smile on his face for some reason.

"Is this your book?" He asked holding, a book that had the exact same covering that my Biology book had. I blushed, and probably looked like a tomato. Edward was coughing, trying to hide his laughter, but some people looked at him with strange looks.

"Y-yes." I'd had it yesterday though.

"Please come and get it once the bell rings. I suggest that you be more careful with your books, if you lose it, then they are very expensive to replace. Please be more careful." It was the first time that I had gotten lectured from a teacher, and even worse, in front of the whole class! Edward was little more composed now. The bell finally rang, and he just stayed in his seat. I got up to go get my book.

When I came back, the teacher had briefly gone to another room, and it was just me and Edward alone. Edward burst out laughing, he couldn't control himself.

"The first time you got lectured by a teacher?" He asked.

"Yes, and it won't happen again," I tried to hide my embarassment.

"You should have seen your face, the expression was hilarious!" I suddenly understood why he found this so funny. Mr. Fieldsman had turned on a movie for the last 15 minutes of class, and turned the lights out. Edward had excused himself to go use the bathroom. He must have taken my book while he was gone, and then inconspicuously put it on Mr. Fieldsman's desk. I wanted to kill him!

"Oh my god. It was you. What the heck is wrong with you? I thought you were bad, but not that bad!"

"Angel child. I just wanted to see you get embarrased. It was funny."

"Everything's funny to you Cullen!"

"You're right, it is," he burst out laughing.

"I'm going to go to math. I saw you looking at me while I was doing my homework, you have trouble with it?" I didn't say anything.

"That's not your problem," I spat angrily at him.

" 'Ms. Swan, please be more careful with your books.' That was fun. Of course, you can't know that, you don't have any fun in your life?"

"Cullen, I have a much better idea of what fun is, than you do. And it doesn't involve trouble, and drugs."

"What's life without a little trouble?" He asked me in a detached voice.

"I think it's very nice. And what do you mean, by a little trouble? You get into big trouble." He responded in a much more animated tone.

"As much trouble as I can get into. Though, it's very hard to do that in Forks. Anyway, see you around. I'm glad you hate me now, so do I. Perfectionists are honestly not very pleasant to be around, thinking that they're better than the rest of us." Before I could say anything, he was out the door. Idiot.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything by Stephenie Meyer.**

**APOV**

**Cullen household, Alice's room...**

"Rosalie, didn't you think Bella was nice?" Rosalie smiled.

"Yes, I think she is. I'm looking forward to sitting with her today."

"Yep, me too." Rosalie was looking at me with a doubtful expression. Whenever I was really hyper, she knew that something was up.

"Alright Alice, spit it out," she commanded. I paused for a second, then burst out with the news.

"EDWARD AND BELLA SHOULD BE TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!" Rosalie stared at me.

"Alice," she said seriously, "do not get involved with relationships of others."

"Rosalie, it's perfect! Bella can get Edward's sanity back, and Edward can loosen Bella up." Rosalie snorted, and I glared at her.

"Alice, you want Bella to loosen up by skipping class, and getting arrested. That's the stupidest, and craziest idea I have ever heard! Besides, what losening up does she need?" I ignored Rosalie's question.

"You have no faith in me. I can set them up together."

"Alice. Be reasonable. Edward can't have relationships. He's too busy making out with every girl he sees, and he has the emotional range of a teaspoon."

"We can't give up on him," I said, desperation probably in my eyes.

"Alice, Bella is the last person that would ever date Edward. What do you mean by loosening up?"

"I just think that she doesn't have any fun in life," I protested.

"And you think Edward does?"

"Sure he does."

"No, he only gets himself into trouble. You saw the look that she had on her face after we mentioned Edward."

"It was a look of admiration." Rosalie sighed at me.

"A look of admiration? It was a look of pure hate! How can that be admiration?"

"And Bella would be the perfect person to get him normal again. We should set them up." Rosalie was now glaring at me.

"Set them up? Are you crazy? Bella and Edward would figure out that it was you. Edward's not stupid you know, and Bella is far from it. Then you would have two people mad at you? We just made friends with Bella, and now you want to push her away?"

"No, I didn't say that. I just think that they would be perfect for each other. Opposites attract. They fit together like puzzle pieces."

"What? Opposites may attract to a certain extent, but enemies certainly don't."

"Come on, Rose. Bella and Edward are not enemies."

"You are absolutely nuts," Rosalie said flatly.

"You can't convince me out of my brilliant plan."

"I bet I could," Rosalie said, her face suddenly becoming smug.

"Go on then, unconvince me."

"Okay. Since you told me about your plan, then I can tell Emmet or Jasper. One of them will tell Edward. Then, he won't go, and he'll hate Bella even more. I bet that Edward doesn't even know her nickname." Rosalie finished, a triumphant look on her face.

"You would never do that?" I pouted. Leave it to Rosalie, to ruin all of my fun.

"Fine then, but they'll end up together, without my help."

"Yes, if it's meant to be, then they will, if not, then it won't happen. I'm so glad that now you see my point, thanks Alice." I scowled at Rosalie, and she kept a tranquil smile.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." And she left me there, fuming. Bella and Edward were meant to be, and it was more than luck that she moved, it was fate.

**Tuesday at lunch...**

**BPOV**

"Hi, Bella," Alice cherped. Her enthusiasm never failed to amaze me. I was very uncomfortable, about meeting Emmett and Jasper. They soon arrived to lunch. Jasper immediately pulled out a binder, and started working, but he introduced himself first.

"Hi, I'm Jasper, and this is, as you know, Emmett." Emmett was huge, and he had a large grin on his face.

"It's Bella, right? Rose and Alice told me that they had fun shopping with you on Sunday."

"Yes, that's me. And I had a lot of fun." I smiled at Rosalie and Alice, and they returned my smile. I heard a voice very close to the table, that belonged to Edward. Why did he always have to show up and ruin everything? I pulled out my math, trying to sit unnoticed.

"Hey Alice, Emmett." Alice responded in an irritated tone.

"Gee Edward, are you joining us for lunch? That's a first."

"If you'll let me." Edward actually looked a little dissapointed. Then Alice grinned hugely.

"Edward, why don't you sit over there." I screamed inwardly. Why was she having Edward sit next to me? There was another empty seat, next to her. What was going on? Edward sat down, without realizing I was there.

"So Edward, how was your Sunday?" Alice asked.

"Great, I went to a clu..." He noticed me for the first time?

"Isabella," he said in an outraged voice, "What the hell are you doing here? Nobody invited you to sit with us." Alice glared at him.

"Actually Edward, I did. You however came on your own." I was annoyed with him. Doing math problems alone was hard, but with him next to me, it was even worse. When I finally met his gaze, his glare vanished. That was different.

"So, Isabella, what did you do this weekend?" Instead of his glare, came a smirk. Some difference. I knew that he was getting ready to make fun of me.

"Shopping with Alice and Rosalie." I sighed, and waiting for his little rude remark.

"And what did you get? An outfit for church?" Alice glared at him. He gave her an innocent look. I suddenly got up, closed my book, and left to go somewhere, probably the media center.

**APOV**

"You big fat jerk," I screamed, just a little too loudly. Some heads turned, but by the looks on their faces, they hadn't heard what I had shouted. Once people had looked away, I slapped Edward. He wasn't expecting that.

"Ouch. What did I do?" Rosalie then started speaking.

"What did you do? We're all getting to know someone who's really nice, and you ruin the moment. Maybe you could at least be polite to her, for us."

"It's not my fault, that the twerp was sitting next to me. There was a seat right next to you Alice. Why did you have me sit next to her, huh?"

**EPOV**

Here I had been expecting to sit with my family peacefully, when Isabella is in the seat right next to me. Was I supposed to welcome her or something like a gentleman?

"Lunch is ending in five minutes. I'm going, say hi to Isabella for me." I got up, but then Alice grabbed my sleeve.

"Her name's not Isabella, she goes by Bella. At least be polite, and call her that."

"If she doesn't like Isabella, then that's the perfect name for her," I replied simply. Deep down, I felt some stupid emotion of guilt. It was time for bio.

I quietly entered the room, and Isabella or Bella, was sitting alone. Biology was starting in about four minutes. Bella looked like she was crying. Her math was still out.

"It's A. The answer to that problem is A." It was her last problem, and it looked like she couldn't figure it out. She didn't respond, but circled it.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"No problem." She suddenly looked at me.

"Why do you torture me so much?" She whispered. To that, I truly didn't have an answer.

"Why do you think I do?" What else could I say? That I enjoyed making fun of people? That I bad mouthed my own siblings behind their backs?

"I don't know Edward. I come to a new school, try to fit in, and you're always making fun of me, and not in little teasing manners."

"Why are you crying?" I asked her.

"Because I took the bus this morning, and I ran into some idiot who was drunk."

"I can give you a ride," I offered. She looked at me.

"Please. I'm not stupid enough to believe that you would actually do something like that." I got angry.

"Fine twerp, that's a great opinion of me." Then I realized that I had messed up, I had called her a twerp. She just turned back.

"For about five seconds there, I thought you had a good side. Now, I know that your going to torture me throughout the semester. And you know what, I'm not even going to talk back to you. I still hate you, and never help me with math again." She was angering me, big time.

"I share the same feelings, and now that won't ever change, angel child. Now I know that you are a stuck up, annoying girl."

"You don't even know me," she said. That's right, I didn't. But from my first impression, I felt like I had known her for ages. I just turned around, and didn't look at her once. The teacher finally came in.

"Alright class, you'll be assigned a project, in which you'll have to work with your partner." I froze. Work with her? Wait a minute, I never worked. This grade was probably going to be based on who did the most work. Isabella could do everything, and get an A by herself. I was used to failing, so it worked out perfectly.

"Have fun Isabella," I hissed at her.

"Where are you going?" She hissed back.

"I don't really know, away from girls like you, I'm going to go find some that are more my type." She looked at me blankly. The teacher interrupted our little staring contest.

"Mr. Cullen, are you going somewhere?" I just smirked at him.

"To the bathroom." The teacher just looked away.

"Detention Edward," was his usual parting command, "unless you can work with Miss Swan."

"No thanks, I've got better things to do." The class was too bored to pay attention to me, they were used to my talking back to the teacher. He just nodded at me.

"Mr. Fieldsman?"

"Yes Isabella?"

"May I go to the bathroom?"

"Are you planning on accompanying Mr. Cullen? He told me that you were going to skip class today?" The teacher nodded his head for thanks in my direction. My smirk grew more pronounced.

**BPOV**

I froze midway to the teacher for a pass. Me, skip class? The cretin Edward had told him that I was skipping class!

"Excuse me, sir. I just need to go to the bathroom, I am not planning on skipping class. Who are you going to believe, me or Edward?" The teacher paused, then just nodded his head at me. Relief corsed through my body, but then it was replaced by anger.

"Quickly, Miss Swan." Taking the pass, I left. On the way to the girls' bathroom, I did my best to get away from Edward, since we were going the same way, except he was going towards the exit.

"Second lecture, Isabella, second lecture," he grinned at me. And then I really cried. No one had ever treated me this way, and I hated it.

"Honestly, Cullen, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothing, well maybe I'll see you tommorow, I'm not sure." Then, he ran toward the exit.

"Well, I hope that I don't see you, Cullen!" He just laughed.

**End of the day...bus stop (Bella forgot her car because she didn't have enough time to look for her car keys because she was running late.)**

The rest of the day passed by without incident. I couldn't believe that I had almost received a detention. My dad would have killed me! Maybe that's a little extreme, but still. I quickly went to the bus stop, and there was another man there, who didn't look quite coherent. Second time in a row today.

"What's your name?" He slurred.

"Sarah," I said. I didn't want to have to get into an argument about why I wouldn't say my name.

"Nice to meet you Sarah. I love that name. Very pretty, you are too." Fear came through me. Random men don't just call you pretty. I was walking off, but he grabbed my arm.

**EPOV**

I was driving along the bus stop, and I saw Bella with a strange man that was holding her arm. The guy was in a fancy suit, but he was still drunk. This wasn't good. If she didn't accept a ride this time, then she was crazy. I sped up, and stopped neatly in front of her.

"Get in," I said simply. Bella stared at me, the man had looked at me, but still didn't let her go. I got out of the car.

"Sir, get your hand off of my girlfriend immediately."

"And what if I don't want to?"

"Then I'm going to have to take immediate action, that will result in painful consequences." He stillhad his hand on her arm. I punched him, and he immediately let go. Bella stared at me.

Since she just stayed planted there, I took her arm, and led her away from the man.

"You coming, or do you like your present company?" She glared at me.

"I'm able to take care of myself, thank you for your concern." What? She was away, but the guy could follow her. I wasn't going to follow her in my car, while she walked to her house.

"Listen, I just saved you, possibly even your life. Can you get in?"

"Why should I?"

"Whatever, suite yourself. Don't say that I didn't offer." Before I even drove off, she was the one who turned around, and walked off. I stayed parked in the car, till I saw that she was safely gone from the bus stop. Not even a thank you! To soothe my nerves, I took out a cigarette, and lighted it.

Once I had arrived at my house, I leaned my head against the steering wheel. Why had I acted like that? Even worse, why had I called her my girlfriend? I must be going crazy, that was definitly it, there was no other explanation.

I entered the house, and just wanted to be left alone. But of course, with Alice as a sister, that was impossible.

"You went to math, Edward?"

"Yes Alice, what do you want?"

"Nothing, so how did Biology go with Bella?"

"Great."

"Something wrong Edward? You seem distressed."

"Nothing Alice, I'm great." She smiled at me.

"I saw you punch someone today, we were going by the bus stop. Tell me, why did you hit that man? He looked perfectly fine."

"Because he was drunk," I muttered.

"You get drunk yourself, do you want me to start hitting you?"

"Please Alice, I don't need this right now. Please." She kept going.

"Or did you hit him because he was holding Bella by the arm? Hmm? Which is it?" Honestly, if Alice didn't be quiet, I was going to hit her.

"Shut up Alice."

"You must like her a little bit, to have saved her."

"Alice," I said, exasperated, "if you saw someone bothering someone else, would you just continue driving if you could do something about it? Even someone that you hate?"

"No, but it's very unlike you."

"So what am I, the devil? Alice, I already told you, I couldn't watch her be raped or whatever. I would feel guilty for the rest of my life."

"So, how did your ride home with her go? Do you hate her a little less?"

"No, I still hate her, permanently. And I offered to drive her home, but she refused. End of story." Alice's smile dissapeared.

"You didn't insist?"

"I did, but she just walked off, I'm not going to go driving after her. Hell, she didn't even thank me."

"Well, did you hurt her feelings a second time today?"

"I don't want to talk about anything, and especially Isabella. Just let me be."

"Fine Edward, you can deny it as much as you want, but Bella and you are meant to be tog..."

"Alice," Rosalie called, "I think I want to speak with you alone, if you don't mind." Good, at least Alice would stop bothering me.

I thought about Alice's words. _Bella and you are meant to be tog..._ Was the last word _together_? No. I must be getting even more crazy. There was no way that Alice could possibly ever suggest something as idiotic as that. No.

**RPOV**

Once Alice had come up the stairs, and we were in my room, I slammed the door shut. Thank god Jasper wasn't here! I gave her a dark glare.

"What on earth was that?" I hissed at her.

"What on earth was what?" She asked me innocently.

"Today at lunch, your conversation with Edward. What was going through your head? Having Bella sit at lunch with us, then placing Edward right next to her?" Alice pouted.

"Rosalie, I did nothing wrong, I couldn't see any availble seats, so I put Edward in the only seat left."

"Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to believe that? There was an open seat right next to you!"

"Really? If I had known that, I definitly would have put Edward there."

"Stop playing dumb. What was that, about you telling Edward, that him and Bella were supposed to be together."

"I mean, come on, when's the last time that Edward has hit anyone? He behaved like a gentleman." She was nuts.

"Edward is far from one, believe me. If you haven't noticed, Edward has perfected some self control in that area. He sometimes beat up people in school and got suspended. He may not have hit them hard, but he still hit them. Honestly, it looked like he wanted to hit you!" Alice cringed as if he were actually here in the room with us.

"Edward would never do that, he loves me as his sister. Besides, Jasper would beat him up," she whimpered.

"Alice, that very well may be, but let's stay focused here for a minute. He may have hit that man, but that's his business. Now occupy yourself with something besides Edward and Bella being together. Please, you're giving me a headache." Alice just stood there, motionless.

"Fine."

"You're still not gone, and neither is the headache! Get out of my room! Now!" She dashed out, and I locked my door. Someone, help me. She was a nightmare. If she did anything like that again, then I would tell Emmett or even worse, Jasper.

**End of chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

Once I got home, I locked the doors and checked to make sure all of the windows were closed. It was the first time in my life that I had felt real fear, danger. And I couldn't ignore the relief that I had felt when Edward was there.

As much I wanted to deny it, Edward had saved me, and without him, I would be god knows where. And what was worse, was that I was feeling less hatred towards Edward. I didn't want to like him at all, he had saved my life, but that was no reason to be nice. I think.

The phone started ringing, and for a moment I hoped that it was Edward. What the heck? That was a stupid feeling, that would never happen again. Anticipation to hear from Edward? Please.

"Hello?" Relief flooded through me, it was Alice.

"Bella," she exclaimed, "Edward told me all about what happened. I would have offered you a ride, but I didn't see you for the rest of the day, and I didn't realize that you didn't have your car. I'm so so sorry." She was saying these words so fast, that I barely understood her.

"Alice," I laughed, "it's no big deal. I probably could have handled myself anyway, but I was glad that Edward was there to help me." I heard Alice squeal. Glad? Where had that come from?

"Oh Bella, I'm sure you could've, can you come to my house right now. We can hang out if you want." She sounded so hopeful, why not?

"Um, sure. When do you want me to come over?"

"Now." I could hear the excitement behind her voice. Why was she so eager to have me come over?

"Okay, I'll be over there in about 15 minutes." She squealed with delight again, and hung up without another word. Okay then. I quickly got into my car, and drove a little too fast to Alice's house.

When I got to her house, I gasped at the size. It was like a mansion! Who knew that someone in Forks could live like this? Okay, they had a BMW, and Edward had his Volvo, and Alice offered to pay for designer clothes for me. They certainly weren't the poorest family on the block.

I rang the doorbell quickly, and I heard Alice's footsteps, and she threw open the door. Rosalie was in the backround, giving me a smile.

"Hi Bella, I've got the whole afternoon planned out. First I can give you a makeover, then I can..." Alice was cut off by Rosalie.

"Bella, can I take your coat?" I threw her a grateful smile. Alice had a great personality, but sometimes it got out of hand.

"Actually Alice, I was planning on doing my homework for a little while, don't you have any to do?"

"Yes Bella. All right, I'll bring you to the study area, it's upstairs." Alice took my hand, and Rosalie gave her a suspicious look, but didn't say anything.

"Here it is, and after you're done, you'll let me do your hair and everything?" Whatever made her happy, as long as I didn't have to see Edward.

"Thanks Alice, I'll definitly let you know when I'm done, it shouldn't take that long, but the math might."

"Have fun Bella, I'm sure the math will go fine." I might have been imagining it, but it seemed like she had a wicked glint in her eyes. Whatever.

The room was so nice. Inside, was an inviting black leather sofa, and on the side wall were a million CDs, and on the floor a thick gold carpet. The Cullens must love music, and it made sense to have it in a study area, to relax yourself.

I sat on the carpet, and got straight to work. Math was the first on my agenda, it would be best to get it out of the way, I didn't have too much of it. I heard the shower going in the nearest bathroom, but I thought nothing of it.

I was deeply concentrated on my math, which I didn't understand, when the door opened. I turned to see what Alice wanted.

"Al..." I gasped, and so did the person who had just come in. It wasn't Alice at all, it was...Edward, in only boxers! What kind of person goes into a study room with only boxers on? He was perverted!

"Isabella, what the fuck are you doing here?" The expression on his face was murderous.

"Don't you think it's polite to knock, Cullen? And why aren't you in decent clothes?" Despite where I was, I couldn't help noticing how muscled his chest was. Stop it Bella!!! He stared at me like I was crazy.

"Enlighten me Isabella, why would I have to knock to enter my bedroom? And may I ask why in the world you're here. This is insane!"

"Are you making up some sick joke, Cullen? This is the study, not your room, you moron." He glared at me visioucly.

"I think I would know where my own room is, in my own house. The study for your information is downstairs, not in here. Why would there be a ton of CDs in a study, huh? Are you stupid or something?" He was driving me insane.

"I am far from stupid, though you aren't." He smirked.

"So, what are you doing that's been taking you so long, math?" He grinned at his stupid comment.

"I maintain an A in math, and that is enough for me." He was still grinning, and then I saw his eyes drift to my paper that I was reviewing.

"You call a D, an A?"

"You..." I had no idea what to say.

"Why aren't you in your room yet, dressed?"

"I'm in my room, and I'm not about to get dressed in front of a girl. I would honestly appreciate it if you left."

"Idiot, for the last time this is the study." He started yelling, and fear pulsed through me, the kind that I had felt this afternoon.

"Isabella, you're getting on my last nerve! I know my own house, and I'm in my room. All I want to do is get dressed, and you're preventing me. Why are you here?" Once he was done, I tried to scramble away, but he grabbed my wrist quickly, and wouldn't let go. He then raised his hand, and curled it into a fist. I cringed against the corner that I had backed into.

"Let go," I whispered, then I started sobbing.

"I don't hit girls," he whispered as well, and let go gently. I was still sobbing, and stayed where I was. He dissapeared.

Once he reappeared, he was in shorts and a tshirt. His eyes were gentle, and full of grief.

"I'm sorry. To have acted like that, it was irrational. I'm sorry." He was still whispering. I just cried and cried.

"Leave me alone, I'm going to tell Charlie, you'll be arrested and put into jail for years and years." He looked away.

"And I would deserve it," he said quietly. It sounded like he was lost in his memories.

"Who sent you up here anyway? To study?" He tried to make his tone a little more light. I couldn't look at him.

"Go away. Just go, I can't be in the same room with you." There was no way I could tell him that it was Alice. He guessed on his own.

"It was Alice, wasn't it?" I didn't move, or say anything.

"Just go, please," I said in a weak voice. He got up, and I was surprised that he didn't tell me that it was his room.

"Yes, I'm sorry about before. Good bye, Bella." I froze, had he really just called me Bella?

"Edward!" I said in a strange throaty rasp. He paused right outside his door.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." He looked at me very strangely.

"For what?"

"Saving me." All I got was a nod, then I heard his footsteps going down the stairs.

**EPOV**

Before I went down the stairs, I saw Isabella weak with a tear stained face. I couldn't believe what I had almost done! Alice greeted me downstairs. She was the devil's daughter, no question about that. She must have seen the expression on my face.

"Edward?" She asked in a concerned voice.

"What Alice," I hissed at her, "What? I almost hit Bella upstairs! I almost hit her," I yelled. She looked taken aback.

"Whatever you're planning, it's going to stop right now. How could you think of sending her to do her homework in my room, right before I come out of the shower? I almost fucking hit her," I spat at Alice.

"That's not my fault Edward, if you can't control yourself." I looked at her like she was crazy, and she was.

"You know my temper Alice, I'm you freakin brother. I'm just wondering what the hell went through your head. You know that my room is a private place, just for me, not even you go in it. And to send someone else, someone who I'm not even friends with, without my permission was awful. Don't speak to me for the rest of the month." Before I was even finished, she had run out of the room, coward. Couldn't even take being yelled at.

I decided to go back up to my room, to check on Bella, I was probably the last thing that she wanted to see right now, but I had to know if she wanted to go home. I slowly opened my door, and knocked. No answer.

"Bella?" Her face was still red.

"Edward," she quietly greeted me.

"Do you want to go home?" She just nodded her head yes, and tried to stand up. At first it looked like she could make it, but then she fell back, and I got her before her head hit the wall.

"I'll go to my car," she said, as she wobbled.

"No, you won't, I'll have Alice drive you." She glared towards the open door.

"Like I'm ever going to speak to her again. I'm not sitting with them anymore." I was sorry for my sister who liked Bella, but I still felt anger.

"I'll drive you." For some reason, she followed me.

We went out to the garage, and I opened it, and my car at the same time. Bella still looked a little wobbly, so I stayed near her. I opened the passenger door for her, and she wordlessly slid in. The drive was a quiet one, neither of us talking. Suddenly, her voice was clear.

"Why did you do it?"

"Why did I do what?" I saw her give me a small smile.

"Save me from that guy. You hate me, why would you even bother?" I had to think about that one for a little bit.

"Because I do have a heart."

"You're not all bad," she said, mostly to herself. I just kept my eyes on the road.

"You're not so bad yourself, Isabella," I smiled gently at her. She shook her head, and laughed.

"Why do you call me that?"

"Simply because you hate it. No other reason." I parked into her driveway, and she didn't move. I opened her door for her, and I saw that her eyes were closed.

"Bella?" I asked, worried. She opened her eyes.

"Some place inside of you is a gentleman." I didn't know what to say to that. Bella got out, and I followed her to her house. Whatever little trance that she had been in, it was away.

"I hate you Edward, thank you for driving me," she said angrily. I couldn't blame her, I had almost hit her. Without saying a word, I left.

Once I heard the hum of my car, I relaxed. Alice was a nightmare, what was she planning? I entered the house, and quickly dashed up into my room. How could Alice still be smiling.

"You better clear off Alice, or I swear you're not going to like it if you stay," I threatened.

"I forgot it was your room Edward, everybody makes mistakes."

"Please, you knew that I was in the shower. By the way, Bella's not sitting with us anymore because of you. She hates you, and likewise for me. Now get out of my face." Rosalie came by, and maybe she could talk some sense into Alice.

**APOV**

"Rosalie, go after Edward, and tell him to apologize to me, I'm only trying to help him." Rosalie glared at me.

"Alice, I warned you not to get involved with things, but you did. And just as I predicted, they both hate you. Good job, and I really liked Bella by the way. I suppose that our shopping trip is canceled this weekend." Rosalie sighed, and went away.

Why did everyone hate me? All I did, was try and do some good for them, they deserved each other, and I didn't believe that I had made it worse.

**Morning, Bella getting ready for school...**

Everything that had happened yesterday seemed like a dream, very surreal. Edward had almost hit me, and I was now mad at Alice. Could I really blame Edward? He hadn't really hit me. I still hated the jerk, though not as much, which I hated. My car! I had left it there, dam. There it was in the driveway, with Edward in it, but the car keys were in my hand. How could he...I was all ready for school, so I might as well go outside.

"Edward?" I asked him a little angrily.

"Bella," he said simply.

"What are you doing with my car? I have the keys, how did you get in?" He grinned, unrepentant.

"Let's just say that I have a lot of experience with breakingand entering." I couldn't help smiling in response.

"You going to school today?" I didn't even want to know how he could get cars started. It was probably a useful talent when you're trying to escape the police.

"No. It's a waste of time, maybe math, that's the only subject that interests me." Edward never failed to amaze me. I would never tell my dad about the D. When I had taken the quiz, I had felt like I had known everything. I guess not.

"Edward, I..." he was looking somewhere else.

"Yes?"

"Could you maybe..."

"Could I what?"

"Help me with math?" I asked him in a very timid and quiet voice. He looked taken aback.

"I don't know, do you really want that?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Okay, if that's what you really want." I nodded my head yes.

"When do you want to come over to my house," I asked him. He smiled.

"Why don't I pick you up, then we'll ride back to my house."

"Okay. And Edward, thank you for everything." He nodded, then took off running at a very fast pace.

**Hoped you liked the chapter. I told you that he would get nicer. ☺ **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer. **

**A/N: In the first chapter, I said that the Cullens and Hales were foster children. I've decided that I want Alice, Emmett and Edward to be Carlisle and Esme's children. The Hales are brother and sister, and live with the Cullens. On with the story. **

I drove to school, thanks to Edward for bringing me my car. Why had I asked him to help me in math? That was just pure stupidity. For some strange reason, I was dissapointed that he wouldn't be coming today. Strange.

I understood nothing in math today, and would probably fail the next test. Today was my lucky day, we had a pop quiz!

"All right class, pencils out, no calculators. Begin," the teacher commanded. None of this made sense. I only completed 1/3 of it, when the teacher announced that time was up.

"Pass your papers up, and you will be grading each others' quizzes." He then proceeded to hand out our papers, and recited to us the answers. None of what I had put was close to the persons paper that I was grading.

"Now, please give the papers that you have back to their owners, and once you have seen your grade, hand them to me." Someone called Colin Brady had graded my paper. I had gotten a 10 out of thirty, about a 33. The color drained from my face, never in my life had I recieved an E, never. Charlie would kill me! I would rather have dentention over and over again than get an E!

**Bella on her way to lunch... **

The shock from my math quiz was still present, I tried not to think about it. The last person that I wanted to see came right up to me. Alice.

"Hi, Bella," she said, in a singsong voice. I ignored her, and kept walking.

"I said hello. Did you not hear me?"

"Hi Alice," I said acidly. She looked taken aback.

"What's wrong, you can tell me." I gave her my best glare, she shrank back.

"You are whats wrong. You're worse than Edward." She gave a little gasp.

"What have I done?" She asked me, shocked.

"I don't know Alice, you put me in a study room, which wasn't even a study, but Edward's room. He comes out of the shower practically naked! Do you see where my anger might be coming from?"

"So you're not sitting with us?" She pouted. Was she kidding me?

"No." I sighed. "But Alice, I'll get over it eventually, don't worry." She walked away. I felt bad, but right now I couldn't deal with her. Instead of sitting with the Cullens and the Hales, I went to go sit by Angela.

Lunch was boring. I had to admit that sitting with the Cullens was fun, and I did glance at their table occasionally. Each time I looked back, I would catch Alice staring at me, then she would turn her head away. Edward came into the cafeteria, took one look at me, then at his family and quickly sat down with them, talking quietly. I thought that he wasn't coming today, but he never failed to surprise me.

I had blushed when he'd looked at me. He shouldn't have that kind of power, it was nauseating. The bell rang, I gathered my books, and walked quickly to biology. Edward was already in his seat.

"Hey Bella," he said in a muted voice. I didn't want to look at him. If I did, then he would remind me of my horrible math grade, I didn't need my day to worsen. But why be rude?

"Edward," I nodded at him.

"Friendly greeting," he noted.

"Very," I said sarcastically.

"So, how did you think the math quiz was?"

"I beg your pardon?" I said in a shocked voice.

"We have the same teacher, I think that I aced it." Wahoo.

"Me too," I mumbled.

"Really? You don't sound like it."

"You're right, I didn't, Edward. Now, make fun of me. I don't care. You're better at something than me, congratulations." He stared at me with a strange look on his face.

"And you're better than me at many other things, so it doesn't really matter." Did what I just hear really come out of Edward's mouth?

"You're not going to make a rude comment?" He grinned, and I felt myself smiling in response.

"What, you want me to?"

"No, but. It's just so unlike you." His grin turned into a frown.

"Edward?" I asked him, concerned.

"You still have a bad opinion of me?" He asked curiously. I didn't know how to respond.

"Edward," I said in a flat voice. "I don't hate you anymore." He just let it drop. Hate was a strong feeling, and my answer wasn't very detailed. The teacher finally came in.

"Alright class. Today you'll be picking out your project ideas, and come up to my desk so that I can verify that it is appropriate." He paused, then stared at Edward. If his eyes could pop out, then they would be right now. He just looked at Edward some more, and then moved on.

"You going to work with me or not?" I hissed. Edward looked at me like I was nuts.

"Of course not. Smoking is a much better use of my time than working. What a bore." He sounded barely interested. After saying that, he left. The teacher just looked at him, and sighed. He knew that he had gotten his hopes up, that Edward would actually stay the whole class period, I had gotten mine up as well.

"Some things never change," he muttered, just so that Edward could hear, but I did as well. Edward smirked in responseand banged the door behind him, causing some students to look up. Whatever.

I ran into Rosalie in the hallway, and felt that I had to apologize for ignoring Alice. She stopped when she saw me.

"Rosalie look, I..." I was cut off.

"Bella, if you're coming to apologize, I don't want to hear it."

"Just listen," I pleaded. She just watched me with an irritated, yet amused expression on her face.

"I'm sorry for not sitting with you, but I was mad at Alice. She's almost forgiven now, and I might sit with you tommorow, but I'm not sure." Rosalie's amused expression dominated over the irritated one.

"You think that I blame you? The fool put you in the room with a practically naked guy, that you hate. I don't blame you at all for ignoring us. I was just worried that you would be mad at me."

"Rosalie, why on earth would I be mad at you?" She shrugged at my words.

"I thought that Alice might be up to something, but I didn't think she would put you in Edward's room, nobody's stupid enough to do that. Anyway, the actual study is upstairs, and I had a lot to do, so I wasn't paying a lot of attention to her. I should have known that she would do something like that." I actually laughed.

"Rosalie none of this is your fault. Besides, Alice is almost forgiven."

"Bella, we need to teach you how to hold a grudge. You can't let her off of the hook after one day. Remember all of the bad things that someone had done to you, and that will allow you to hold a grudge for more than a day." I kept laughing.

"Alice is a new friend, I have nothing to hold against her, but this particular incident. It's not enough to hold a long grudge."

"I guess not, but this incident will be fuel for the future," she sighed.

"Rosalie, I'm glad that I had a chance to talk to you."

"Me too, are you going to sit with us tommorow?"

"Definitly."

"Cool. Sorry about Alice. When she gets commited to an idea, she's mostly unstoppable." I was confused. What was her idea of putting me and Edward in the same room together?

"What idea?" I heard Rosalie's silver laugh.

"You don't know yet, Bella?" I shook my head.

"You'll figure it out eventually, maybe even sooner than you think."

"Okay Rosalie, see you tommorow." Maybe even sooner than I think? Whatever. Alice was almost forgiven, I would try and take Rosalie's advice on holding grudges, but I couldn't hold a grudge against Alice. There was only one person, and the problem was that, I was starting to like him. Edward Cullen.

Following day at school...

EPOV 

Weird feelings were going through my head about Bella. Was I starting to like her? No, the only reason that I had saved her, was because I couldn't live with myself, if that guy had raped her. I was going to school today, for biology, and math. Brad called me in the morning.

"Hey Edward, you wanna come over this morning, we could go somewhere?" Brad said hopefully. I didn't want to go over to his place, I wanted to go to school. This was stupid.

"Brad, I'm going to school. Sorry." He gasped.

"What?" He said rudely.

"I'm going to school," I repeated.

"Fuck. David, Patrick, and Luke are coming over, and you're not coming?" I wasn't going to be convinced out of school.

"Look, I'm going to vandalize." What a great excuse, he would believe it.

"We'll join you," he said enthusiastically. Another reason.

"No, it will be too conspicuous if we're all there."

"So?"

"We shouldn't all get caught." I sighed.

"Cullen, since when have you cared about being suspended or arrested?"

"I don't really care, I'd rather do it alone."

"Ruin all of our fun," he laughed.

"Yeah," I joined in.

"Sorry. I'm not going tommorow, so we can do something else then." He hung up, and I layed down in my bed. It was too early, I quickly fell asleep.

BPOV

I honestly wanted to skip school. Why couldn't I be carefree like Edward? He was a troublemaker, but at least he lived a relaxed life.

**Math class... **

I arrived early, and the teacher called me up. What had I done? 

"Miss Swan, I have had you in my class, and know that you are having trouble. Your grade on your last quiz was unacceptable. Would you like to move down to a regular class?" No, this could not be happening. It just couldn't.

"I..." The teacher looked at me, while I tried to form a coherent answer.

"Math is not my best subject, but I don't want to go down to a regular class."

"How do you intend to raise your grade then, Isabella?"

"I have a tutor," I blurted out. Where did that come from?

"Okay. Let's hope that your grades improve."

"Yes sir." I flew out of my seat, went to lunch, and didn't sit with the Cullens. Alice was still pouting, and Rosalie gave me an, "I understand" look. Pretty soon, it was time for Biology.

I entered the room, and was the only one there. Edward had beat me to it yesterday. What a bore this class was going to be. I was getting As on every single test, and I didn't study. A loud bang from the door told me that Edward was present.

"Hey Edward," I said dully. I saw him reach for the trash can that was right next to my bag, and paid no attention. He then looked at me, and had a devilish look on his face.

"Hello Isabella."

"Some things never change," I muttered.

"No, they don't." He ignored me and I did as well. And that was basically Biology.

"See ya, Isabella." He smirked as he said my name.

Hallway 

I looked in the smallest pocket of my backpack for my cellphone. It wasn't there. Shoot. I was positive that it was in my backpack in Bio. What happened? I had to go back.

"Excuse me, Mr. Fieldsman?"

"Yes, Isabella?"

"Have you seen an Iphone anywhere? It's no longer in my backpack."

"I'm sorry, I went pass your desk, and nothing was there, you may check the room if you like." My eyes scanned the room, and I walked quickly to my desk. Nothing. Shit. I had the right to use that word because I had saved up my money to buy one, and here I was without it.

Thinking was the best option. I briefly remembered checking my bag after lunch, and the phone had been there. Then Edward had reached behind him to throw something away. His hand had gone right by the small pocket of my bag. No, Edward had a phone, he would never...No. It couldn't have been Edward, could it?

EPOV

Isabella's phone was a nice one, an Iphone. I sifted through her text messages, and saw nothing. She didn't text? What was the point of having a phone if you didn't text? She had no calls either. Pathetic. Maybe it was new. Taking out my cell, I found her number and programed it into mine. Isabella would have plenty of text messages once I was through with her phone. First number, Patrick.

**Patrick, this is Isabella's phone. Meet me outside on the fields. Edward. **

**Dude, you seriously stole her phone? Wow, I'm already at the fields. **

**Good. **

I ran through the hallways, and bumped into Isabella.

"Edward, thank god I found you." She was breathless, and had a tear stained face. I almost felt sorry for her. No time for pity parties now, I would get to the apologizing later, when I returned it.

"I left my phone in Biology, have you seen it?"

"No, sorry Bella." She gave me a look, and walked off. I continued running, and saw Patrick.

When he saw the phone, he gasped.

"An Iphone? Dude, you are amazing. How did you do it?" I shrugged.

"It's simple, she pays too much attention to what's going on in class to be aware of her surroundings." Patrick laughed, then stopped.

"You think that this is costing her money?" I sighed.

"I'll pay her back." Patrick still looked worried.

"Maybe her dad pays for her bills, he might want to see her phone, then he'll view the text messages." Smart Patrick had a point there, I had run into the Chief many times in my life. I pressed the delete button, and they were gone.

"No more fun," I said. Patrick nodded.

"Should I return it to her?

"Hell no. You're going to give her the phone five minutes after you have it. That's insane."

"True, too true. Let's buy her a ringtone that she'll hate, and then we can pay her back."

"Why pay her back, Edward?" Because Isabella deserves more, and I was just messing around.

"Dunno, I guess I won't."

"Alright, what ringtone?" I grinned at his question.

"Soldier boy." He snickered. We sifted through the availble ringtones to buy, and finally found it. He high fived me.

"Should I keep this overnight?" Patrick laughed.

"Yeah, that will really scare and piss her off." He laughed, and I faked.

"Bye Patrick." He left running. I couldn't keep the phone overnight. I got the feeling that Isabella was one of those people that got into trouble easily, I was going to give it back. In fact, there was Isabella, with David staring at her.

"Isabella?" Bella looked up.

"What do you want Edward?" She sounded stressed, and with good reason.

"Here's your phone. I feel bad that I took it, I'm sorry," I said in a sincere voice. She grabbed it from my hand. David came up to us, and started talking.

"Bella," he tried to sound alluring. She looked up, and he took her hand and stroked it, and started snaking his arm around her waist. She yanked it away, and shoved him off.

"Bye Isabella," I said. David followed me.

"You do that again, or so much as lay a finger on her, you'll regret the day you were born," I whispered in a murderous voice.

"What's gotten into you Cullen?" he hissed.

"I don't know, what's gotten in to you?"

"Nothing man, I was just being nice to her." I laughed darkly.

"Nice? You terrified her. Watch yourself David," I murmured to him. I sprinted towards my car, and thought about Isabella.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

Wow was all I could say. Edward's friends were wierd. That guy David was freaky, was he flirting? I might have been imagining it, but he might have been looking at my chest, I didn't even want to think about it. The phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Bella, is that you?" asked a very quiet voice. If they couldn't speak louder, then I couldn't know who it was.

"Can you speak a little louder, I can't hear you."

"Bella!" The voice exclaimed so loudly, that I had to move the phone away from my ear. Then I realized who it was; Alice.

"Yes Alice?"

"Bella, look, about the other day, I didn't mean to, I was just...well, there's no excuse for it, and I'm sorry."

"Yeah, whatever Alice. Doesn't matter, nothing happened." She squealed with delight.

"I'm forgiven?" Gee, that's where all of the happiness came from.

"I guess." Her squealing stopped.

"What?" She asked in a dramatic, devastated voice.

"Alice, please. I'm sitting with you tommorow, isn't that good enough?"

"For now."

"Okay, whatever. Is there any particular reason that you called me? Other than trying to annoy me to death."

"Um, what's the Biology homework?" Alice must really think I'm stupid.

"Please, don't treat me like an idiot. You get straight As."

"Bella, I want you back as a friend."

"Look Alice, I have to go do my homework, I can't talk now. Bye." Without waiting for a response, I hung up. Then I heard my cell phone ring. I was going to kill her! Wait a minute, she didn't have my number. I went to go answer.

"Hello?"

"I have your wallet and purse. Give me the rest of your bank account, or else I will burn it. You have two days to follow through." I panicked, but then recognized the voice, and burst out laughing.

"You know Edward, I think you'd better get another career than a prank caller, you're not very good at it." I heard his laugh at the other end.

"Always the supportive one." He said simply.

"Yes, how did you get my number?"

"Isabella, remember I stole your phone?" He sounded ashamed, but I wasn't mad at him for some reason. And when he said Isabella, his beautiful voice made it into music. What? Did I just really think that? No, no, no. He had an ugly voice, it cracked constantly.

"Yes, I remember. Why are you calling me?" He remained quiet, and so did I.

"Do you want to go with me somewhere Saturday?" What the heck? Edward Cullen, bad boy, was asking me to go somewhere with him? Nothing good could come of this, I was positive.

"Um...where do you want to go?" He chuckled.

"It's a surprise, unless you guess. Though I doubt that you never will." Was Edward seriously asking me to go with him, when I didn't even know where we were going. He must think I'm a fool.

"Clubbing?" I suggested doubtfully. He laughed again.

"It's nowhere like that, it's a place you might enjoy, actually. You can bring your math too, if you want." Bring my math? Wherever Edward was taking me, it couldn't be that bad if I could bring my math.

"Won't you tell me?"

"You're actually coming? That's foolish you know, following someone like me around." I could hear a smile in his teasing.

"I have learned to trust you, just a little. Wherever you're taking me isn't a perilous journey, is it?"

"Not to my knowledge. Does this mean that you're coming?" Edward was making a strange offer, but why not? It was foolish to go somewhere with Edward, not even knowing where the destination was. But for some strange reason, I wanted to go.

"Ok, how are we going to get there?" I asked him clamly.

"You have two options. I can pick you up, or you can drive yourself to my house, and then we'll take my car over to the place."

"Why would we have to take your car?" He laughed.

"I dislike it when other people drive, and I'm in the car with them." He said.

"It would probably be best if I drove over. Because if I'm gone, then Charlie will wonder why my car is there without me at the house."

"That sounds good."

"Edward?" I started hesitantly.

"Yes?" He sounded like his thoughts were somewhere else.

"What about Charlie?" He laughed quietly.

"I think that I can handle myself Bella. Don't worry. If you're concerned about yourself, then that's a whole different situation entirely."

"No, I'm not a coward. Thank you for your concern though. Charlie has told me one thing about you though. Apparently burned down part of the school. You were expelled, but then your parents paid the school money, to let you back in." He gasped at the other end.

"He told you that? I never did anything like..." Edward trailed off, not knowing what to say. I snickered.

"Kidding. I don't think you would ever do something like that." I could hear a sigh.

"And you blamed me about being the evil one." He teased.

"Hey, no one ever said that I was innocent." I told him right back.

"Whatever. Anyway, come to my house at eleven, and then we'll drive."

"You still won't tell me where we're going?"

"Nope, especially not after that lovely comment. I promise you that nothing bad will happen." He seemed so sincere, that I believed him.But this was extremely stupid on my part. Edward had been arrested, and smoked or something like that, and here I was, following him while I didn't even know where we were going. Brilliant.

Saturday, 10:00 a.m.

It was ten o'clock, that had to have been the latest I had ever slept. Oh well. I suddenly remembered Edward, oh god. After 45 minutes, I was driving to Edward's house.

I knocked quickly three consecutive times, and waited. I was so relieved that it was Rosalie who had opened the door, if it was Alice, I would have gone straight back to my car.

"Hi Bella. What are you doing here?" I was suddenly embarassed.

"I um..." She smiled.

"That's okay, Edward told me you were coming. You dating him now or something?" My cheeks flushed tomato red.

"N-no. Of course not. We're just going somewhere." I paused on the last word.

"Yeah, I think you'll like it. Why are you going with him anyway?"

"Edward and I are more friendly towards each other these days." She smiled, it seemed like I was missing something.

"Edward." She hollered. "Bella's here." He never came.

"Where is he?" I asked, a little concerned. She looked around, confused.

"I don't know. He told me that he would be upstairs."

"Nearly ready?" Asked a deep masculine voice behind me. I gasped, and jumped a mile back.

"W-where did you come from?"

"Hell." He grinned.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" I muttered. He was still grinning, unrepentant. We then got in the car.

"So where's this place that you're taking me to?"

"I can't tell you till we get there. It's a surprise."

"Terrific." And that was pretty much it for conversation.

"Edward, I noticed a beautiful piano in the entrance. Who plays?" I asked, shyly.

He suddenly looked defensive. "Oh, Rosalie plays." It was the first time that I noticed soft piano music was playing. It was beautiful.

"Who composed this?" I asked him, stunned. Edward's face got even more defensive, and he answered in a bored tone.

"Rosalie composed it herself, it's nice hearing her play in the house." Wow. I had no idea that Rosalie played so well. Now Edward looked unexpectedly vulnerable.

"Edward?" I asked in a concerned voice.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

Edward reached out, and turned off the music abruptly, then his green eyes held mine in a piercing gaze. What was wrong with him?

"Nothing Bella, everything is perfect. It just...nevermind." I let it go. We remained silent the rest of the way. The car was going up a steep hill, and he cut off the engine at the highest point.

"We're here." He announced. I looked through the windshield. All I saw were trees.

"Um...what are we doing here?" I asked.

"Hiking." Hiking?! I was going to embarrass myself so much! He smirked at my expression.

"Is there a problem?"

"N-no. No problems here. Let's go!" I tried to say in my most cheerful voice.

"What type of trail is this?"

"It's about five minutes of walking..." His voice was lost. Five minutes wasn't a big deal. "And then we'll have to climb rocks." That brought me back to reality. Rocks? I could fall off.

"Maybe I'll just stay here." He smirked again.

"Why?"

"I'm going to die of humiliation, and fall." His eyes looked gentle.

"I'll help. It'll be fine. Of course, if you want to go somewhere else, then we can. No problem." I sighed.

"Let's go."

The walk there was easy enough, it took longer because I was slowing him down, he didn't seem to care. Then we got to the rocks. They were crooked, and did not look stable. Edward had already jumped onto one.

"Coming?"

"Y-yeah." My voice sounded very shaky.

I slowly made my way up the rocks. It wasn't bad. My confidence was slowly rising as I got farther up them, but then I slipped, or is the word fall better?

"Edward?" I screamed. He was three rocks ahead of me, and he turned his head and had a look of horror on his face. And then he jumped down the rocks two at a time. Meanwhile, I was still slipping.

"Don't run down."

"Hold on," he shouted.

Unfortunately, I was on a rock that was 15 feet off of the ground, with no rocks under it. And then I could feel myself falling, but a strong hand grabbed mine, and Edward was in front of me.

"Close one," he said, relieved.

"Yeah. What do we do in the meantime?"

"We sit and watch the grass grow."

"This isn't funny Edward." He chuckled, and I glared at him.

"You're right, it's not. I don't know how long I can hold on." I felt myself slipping again, and then his other hand grabbed my second arm.

"Okay, will you trust me, if I tell you that you won't get hurt?"

"Sure." He looked like he was concentrating on something.

"Alright, can you find a crack in the rock or something, to hold your feet?" I sensely swung my legs around, and finally found one.

"Okay, I'm good." He was concentrating even more now.

"Alright, now get your other foot on the same crack." I did as I was told.

"I want you to listen carefully, because this will only work once. Take your leg, and swing it upwards so that you're foot is on the rock, then I'll get you up. Ready?" I swung my leg up, so that it was touching the rock. And suddenly I was dragged up, and laying on top of Edward. He gasped.

"Are you okay Bella?" I was breathing heavily.

"Fine, you?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Good." I really wanted to continue going up.

"Alright, let's go back to the car," he said. I stared at him in a confused manner.

"No, we're going." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"You want to keep going?"

"Yes, you said we were going somewhere. I assume that falling off rocks wasn't your plan."

"No it wasn't, but you scared me. Let's just go back. Another time maybe."

"I want to go. Come on." And I started climbing the rocks again.

"Fine," he sighed. "But you need to hold my hand, I don't know if I can pull you up like that again." So I held his hand, and we slowly made our way up. When we reached the top, the sight that greeted me took my breath away.

"It's beautiful," I whispered. We were on a hill, and I could see all of Forks. Edward had led us to one small place that had trees that formed something like a roof over our heads. Everything looked so magical, I could hear the birds chirping if I was quiet.

"I'm glad you like it," he said quietly.

"How did you know it was here?" He thought for a minute before answering.

"I was walking one day in the woods, I told my parents that I would be home in an hour. Then, I got lost. The rocks that you almost fell off of were the very same that I saw. I was curious, and climbed up them, the view was beautiful. What was only supposed to be one hour, turned into four. I just sat, and thought about life." He finished quietly.

"Do you come here often?"

"Yes. Maybe once or twice a week to think, sometimes I bring my schoolwork, but mostly I just relax."

We sat in silence, and eventually I layed down.

Something touched my forehead, and my eyelids immediately opened. Edward's face was only inches above mine, and I stared into his green eyes.

"It's getting late."

"What?" It couldn't be time to go, we had just gotten here thirty minutes ago.

"You've been asleep nearly three hours." I jumped up.

"Three hours?" I gasped. He smiled slightly at my expression.

"Yes. We don't have to go quite yet, I'm sorry for waking you."

"No, thank you for doing that. It's time I got up anyway." I laughed. Edward looked uncomfortable again.

I suddenly had a pressing question for him, but was afraid to ask it. How would he react? One way to find out.

"Edward..."

"Yes?" He seemed distracted.

"I have a question."

"Yes?" He said again.

"How did you become like this? Have you always been like, well, like you are now?"

He froze. His head turned, and his face was expressionless. There was a long silence.

"It's a long story." He finally whispered.

"Oh." I didn't push the subject any farther. Apparently, he wasn't ending the conversation.

"I never was always like this, I actually got fairly good grades in school through the ninth grade. In my sophmore year, that's when it all changed."

He had a faraway look in his eyes, and I waited patiently for the rest.

**Hope you liked it. As always, reviews are appreciated.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer. **

**And this chapter isn't the happiest one on the planet.**

Edward seemed to hesitate even more. I was still scared about how Edward would react, but tried to push that thought away. His yes finally met mine, and I could see that he was going to start.

"Edward, are you sure that you want to tell me this? The question just sort of came out." He nodded.

"I've never told anyone the real reason." He was whispering, and his dark tone scared me.

"Like I said before, I was okay through the ninth grade. Something happened to me when I was ten, and I remember it clearly." His tone wasn't dark anymore, it was weak and vulnerable.

"What happened?" I whispered. 

"It's hard to say out loud. You're probably the only person I'll ever tell." I just waited for him to continue. His voice got a little stronger His eyes full of agony and grief. The tortured expression on his face made me nervous.

"I was walking one day, and was at the back of Forks High School. **(Edward is ten.)** I had a spot quite similar to this one. Not the same view of course, but the same purpose, relaxing, and thinking." His eyes wandered to mine.

"Edward, if this is too hard to say, then don't tell me."

"No," he whispered, "I've always wanted to tell someone

"Anyway, I had brought a book and was quietly reading. My parents had no clue where I was, and I never planned on telling them. Then, I heard a loud noise. It sounded like a glass bottle breaking. It scared me, and I went to investigate, which was stupid. Maybe if I hadn't gone looking for the source of the noise, I never would have gone through what happened."

The expression on his face was of terror now, and I knew that this wasn't some small tale of how peer pressure had affected him.

"They were probably 18 or 19. I couldn't see there faces quite well, but they saw mine, peering at them from the wall." He hesitated, and winced in pure agony.

"Stop Edward, just stop if it's too hard!" I told him in a small voice. 

"There were four of them, all at least six feet tall. My fear was rising by the second. I knew that I had to run away, but I couldn't move. They started coming towards me."

" 'Hey youngster, come join the big boys.' The first one hollered."

"No," I tried to respond in a powerful voice. They just laughed, and walked faster in my direction."

" 'The poor guy looks terrified. I think that we should teach him fear.' I was scared stiff, and still couldn't move. All four of them were drunk."

"What happened?" I whispered to him.

"When I looked up, they were finally in front of me. Then, I started running, knowing that they were stronger and faster than me. One of them caught my shoulder, and I tried to shove him off. His hand wouldn't budge."

" 'This is what it's like with the big boys.' I tried running again, but it was pointless." I pictured a younger Edward, scared, running from the people that were chasing him. 

"I then hit the one that was holding me, and he just laughed. The others cackled."

" 'It's going to be fights, is it?' He was saying in a devilish tone, with a horrific grin. Then he punched me in the face, and broke my jaw. I landed on the ground, and they laughed again. He then grabbed my ankle and kicked it, twisting it. I screamed."

"Edward, I'm so sorry," I whispered again. Sorry didn't cover it, he had faced a nightmare. 

"They just kept laughing as I screamed, but they weren't done. One took my arm, twisted, and broke it. More screaming came from my mouth. I tried to be quiet. The more I screamed, the worse the injuries. They were finished after that, and left. Only an ounce of relief coursed through me."

I stared at him in shock. "They could have beaten me up worse. I actually thanked god that I had a phone with me. Carlisle and Esme had given it to me as a birthday gift. I quickly called them, and they were worried. It was nearly seven, and dark. I told them that I had fallen on rocks, and gotten injured. My knees were scraped too."

"Carlisle gasped when he saw me, and immediately drove me to the hospital. Esme burst into tears, and I just remained silent. They never called me because I had said that I would be home by seven. Forks wasn't known for crime." My eyes met his, and there must have been a look of shock on it. 

And I was the one who burst into tears, and he pulled me softly against his chest. I believed every detail that he had told me. I hated whoever had caused him pain, hated them with all of my heart.

"Can you find them, and tell the police?" He laughed, which surprised me.

"They're long gone Bella, I never saw them again. I don't think that they lived in Forks. It's just a memory now anyway." How could he say a memory? It was a nightmare that was still haunting him.

"Tell someone besides me, your parents. I'm sorry that that happened, can I do anything for you?"

"No." And his voice was full of grief.

"You're done, right?" I hoped that he was.

"Not exactly. The smoking came during my sophomore year. I had seen a group of four seniors smoking by the fields chatting amongst themselves pleasantly. They terrified me at first, but they were not the people who had done that to me."

"A senior saw me looking at them, and offered me a cigarette, and I accepted. I started coughing, but then it stopped. The cigarette felt comforting, and I forgot about what happened. You see, what I had gone through still on my mind, never going away."

"Pretty soon, Patrick, my childhood friend joined me. And then the others followed. I had a group like those seniors talking and hanging out. I always gave myself the excuse that one more cigarette wouldn't hurt. Pretty soon, that died out. It became an addiction back then, but now it's more of a habit. Describing the feeling is hard."

"Don't say anymore if you don't want to. It's not necessary."

"No, I'll finish. Anyway, I only tried drugs two or three times. Soon, I was vandalizing. The reasoning was stupid. I was already smoking, so why not vandalize? Then I went clubbing, and got drunk. That's when I got scared that I would cause someone pain, but I've only done that three times." He said simply.

"But after that particular incident, I started working out as soon as my injuries had healed. I vowed that I would never let that happen to myself again. Pretty soon, running, and lifting weights was all I did. If I could scare people, then they couldn't scare me."

"My family thought that my behavior was odd. They questioned me about it, but I would never say anything. I avoided them, and their stares. Pretty soon, they started trying to discipline me for what I was doing. They couldn't imagine innocent Edward becoming a smoker, but that's exactly what I did.

"Edward I'm…" What was I supposed to say? As if he were reading my mind he said, "Then don't say anything. I'm sorry that I told you that. It's disturbing."

"Maybe you should see a professional; it might help stop your addiction or habbit." He laughed, more normally this time.

"I don't need help. Besides, I don't want to quit."

"Why?"

"I'll never be vulnerable again."

"Did you ever get into fights with people?"

"Yes, sometimes. But only if they initiated it. I just walked away mostly. If they kept coming then I would hit them, and that usually ended it. A coward was what they called me, if only they knbew the reason that I backed off. I would never get into a fight for fun."

He had told me his story, and the subject was coming to a close. I suddenly realized that I was still in his arms. I quickly pulled myself away. He looked at me apologetically for being in his arms, I assumed.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He stared into the horizon, and it was time to go.

"You want help with math?" He asked absentmindedly. I grinned for the first time that day.

"Not a chance."

"Some other day then. Oh, and Bella, thank you for listening." He seemed in a better mood.

"Thank you for telling me."

"So, this was a little grim, do you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Yes, I think I should make up with Alice, then we can do something. But won't you tell your parents, at the very least?"

"Maybe, sometimes it crosses my mind. Usually I just brush off the thought."

"You shouldn't Edward, they care about you. I can listen, but I'm not your family." He nodded.

"I would never hurt you Bella, you know that, right?" His voice was questioning.

"I know. I trust you now more than ever." His eyes were unexpectedly gentle. I had never seen him like this. He looked like someone who didn't cause trouble, someone who was responsible.

"That's good. I'm glad that you can."

"Do you trust me?" I asked him nervously. His answer would probably be no. Then again, I was the only person that he had ever told about what happened to him.

"The answer to that should be obvious. I would never have told you what I just did if I didn't trust you."

As we went down the rocks, he held my hand. What surprised me was that I didn't want to let go, ever. I now knew Edward's true nature. Behind that crazy personality, he was gentle. And I never thought that I would come to say this, but he was nice.

We got down the rocks without any trouble, and he drove us to his house, barely paying attention to the road. It was a little frightening at the speed that we were going, but I didn't comment. His mind was somewhere else. I wanted him to stop remembering.

When we got to his house, he opened the door, and Esme stared at me. I blushed. Thank god they hadn't seen me holding his hand. He had let go as soon as we were safely down.

"I'm Esme." She shook my hand, and I felt myself smiling.

"Isabella, Bella for short. It's good to meet you."

"Nice to meet you to Bella."

**Sorry that this chapter was so short, I didn't know what to write after Edward telling Bella what happened. The next chapter will be a lot more cheerful.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

When I was finished shaking hands with Esme, I shook hands with Dr. Cullen. They were very nice, and if I didn't know who Edward's parents were, they were the last people I would have thought of. Right there while I was being introduced, I felt like blurting out the truth, but that was Edward's decision.

"It's very nice to meet you both."

"You too Bella," Carlisle said. I glanced at Edward, and he remained frozen, looking at his parents. 

Carlisle's eyes flashed to Edward's then to mine, and he looked like he was deep in thought. He seemed to snap out of his trance.

"Anyway Bella, stay as long as you like."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen," I told him politely. 

"None of that, please call me Carlisle." I smiled, and he did as well. 

"Well Bella, would you like to go to my room?"

Carlisle then glared at his son. I was extremely confused about the looks that they were shooting each other.

"Don't be ridiculous," he muttered. Carlisle just looked away.

"Come on, Bella." We walked up to Edward's room, and he closed the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked, curious. Honestly, I didn't think that Edward would get angry. He had already told me his most hidden secret.

"He was warning me not to do anything stupid with you. I don't know, make out or something." Edward shook his head, and sighed. There was an awkward silence.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked him.

"Make out," he smiled.

"You suggest that one more time, and you'll regret it Cullen." I grinned at him.

"Yeah, you can do a lot of damage. I'm sure, your small hands are going to make me suffer. Right." I lied down on the floor, and he suggested his black couch instead of the carpet which was surprisingly comfortable.

"So anyway, I never properly thanked you for that day at the bus stop. For saving me, I mean." Edward looked thoughtful.

"I never could have lived with myself if I had let something like that happen to anyone. But anyway, you're welcome." He closed his eyes, and I did the same but didn't sleep. Three hours of sleeping had given me plenty of energy.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Edward jumped up.

"Come in," he said in a bored voice. When Alice saw me on the couch, and Edward standing up, she gasped.

"No, nothing happened. Don't be stupid." She breathed a sigh of relief. He seemed very irritated.

"Bella, what a surprise. Would you like to stay for dinner?" And then I couldn't be angry with Alice anymore. Edward sensed that I was going to make up with her, so he left the room.

"Alice?" I ran up to her, and gave her a hug.

"Thank you so much for forgiving me Bella!" She sang.

"I missed you so much Alice, it's very hard to stay mad at someone, especially you. Do you want to hang out this weekend?" Her eyes lit up.

"Shopping?" She asked me hesitantly.

"Yes, with Rosalie?" 

"When do you want to go? Afternoon maybe?"

"Yes, I would like that." We linked arms, and went down the stairs. I paused. Where was Edward? He appeared next to me, and Alice dropped her arm.

"Edward, can I stay for dinner?"

"Why are you asking me? Alice just offered."

"I don't know."

"Of course, things with you around are awful, but I'll sit through it being polite." Alice stared at him in shock. But when our eyes met, I grinned. She immediately relaxed.

"What should I tell Charlie?"

"You met up with Alice, and she invited you to stay." Edward heard thunder, and amended his answer.

"You did meet up with Alice, but heard the storm, and she invited you to stay overnight. Tomorrow you're going shopping, and will be back by six." He said in such a bored voice, he seemed barely interested.

"How do I explain all day today?"

"I don't know. You went shopping again, and made plans to go again tomorrow."

"Cool, anything else?" I asked him, just making sure.

"Of course, I'm not home at all. Your father probably wouldn't like it if I was at the house. You should call him now."

"That was really quick thinking, I'm impressed."

"Being me, I need to be good at that sort of thing." I looked around for Alice, but she had left. I decided to call Charlie with my brilliant excuse.

"Hey dad?"

"Bella, where on earth have you been?"

"I met up with Alice, and we went shopping the whole day. She invited me to stay overnight because of the storm, can I? Or do you want me to come home and make dinner?"

"No, I think that I can take care of myself for one night, and stay as long as you want tomorrow. What time will you be home?"

"Around six, in time for dinner."

"Good, I hate to ask this, but will Edward be there?" I had been expecting this also.

"No, he's gone somewhere, don't worry."

"Good, have a fun night Bella."

"Bye dad."

"Wow, that was easy." Edward raised an eyebrow.

"You cook dinner every night for your father?" I was confused by the question.

"Well, yes. Something wrong with that?"

"You never go out at night? When do you have any fun in life? Is it all homework, and cooking?" 

"Obviously I don't have as much…fun…as you, but I do go out." I lied. The truth was that I didn't really go out.

"Stop cooking dinner every night, and start going out for yourself. Do you get your homework done early?"

"Yes, it's usually finished by five." He just shook is head.

"You need to get out more often. It's bad for your health to stay in the house so much." 

"I don't see how that's any of your business Edward. My life is just fine the way it is." He looked at me skeptically.

"You didn't have fun today?" 

"Edward, how could anyone have fun listening to what you told me. I liked the view, and spending time with you. It was somewhat peaceful before what you told me."

"Good. Let's go down and eat. I haven't had dinner with my family in so long, it makes me feel bad sometimes."

The food downstairs smelled delicious, better than anything I had ever cooked in my life. We were going to have Spaghetti Bolognese, with the most delicious looking cheese. I kept sniffing the wonderful scent. 

"Esme, did you cook that?" She smiled at me.

"Yes dear. It's quite easy, would you like me to show you sometime?" 

"Yes, please. I would love to know how." Then I suddenly realized that I had forgotten my manners. I hadn't thanked them yet for having me for dinner, and letting me stay over.

"Thank you for inviting me to dinner, and over to stay the night."

"It's a pleasure to meet Alice's new friends." She glanced over at Edward, probably wondering if she should have said Edward's friends. He just stared back, and stayed confident. That was the thing about Edward; I would have been embarrassed by a situation similar to this one if it was me, he just had a confident air.

Dinner was silent at first, and then Alice started a conversation about her day.

"Anyway, so you'll never guess who I ran into. Mike Newton, of all people. He asked me if I wanted to go on a date. I rejected of course. He looked taken aback that someone would refuse him. Then, I quietly suggested that he ask Jessica Stanley out." He left the store extremely disappointed." Edward looked bored. At least he was sitting with them, and that was a change.

The family chatted about different things that had happened to them during the day, and I listened with interest, and sometimes volunteered information about the past week. I didn't say anything about today, and no one asked.

All in all, this Saturday had to be the most exciting one in my life. I had adjusted very well in Forks, and was even happier than I had been in Phoenix.

"So where do you want to go tomorrow Alice?"

"I was thinking Port Angeles, Seattle is kind of far, don't you think?" I had actually started a conversation at a dinner table.

"Yeah, Port Angeles sounds good. Can we tour around a little bit too?" 

"Sounds good, there are plenty of stores that we haven't visited." Suddenly, Edward spoke very quickly.

"I don't want you out there past four, and stay in the main parts of the city."

"Sure Edward," I said. That was unexpected. His family looked at him, and then started back to their original conversations. 

**Port Angeles…**

Before we had gone, we stopped at my house, and I brought 200 dollars with me. I told Alice that I would buy some designer clothing. She smiled at that, and told me what stores we should go to. Rosalie had canceled because she was going on a date with Emmett, she was the only adopted one in the Cullen family besides Jasper, so it was just Alice and I.

While we were looking at the clothing, the subject of Edward came up.

"Bella, I don't know why I'm bringing this up, but I want to tell you how Edward acted." It would be interesting to get Alice's view on things, not just Edward's.

"Go ahead."

"You're sure that you don't mind?"

"Not at all."

"Well, he got very strange after he had fallen on some rocks. He started working out, but something else was different. It was just the expression in his eyes that was the most troubling. He looked remote, and detached. He was a new Edward that we didn't know any more, it was scary. When I first smelled the cigarette scent on him in his sophomore year, I couldn't believe it, sure he was acting strange, but I never imagined he would do something so stupid."

"That must have been frightening for you." She nodded.

"Yes, Carlisle and Esme tried to ask him what was wrong, and soon there was new energy in his eyes. But not the pure expression, a look on his face of total confidence, the real Edward was gone." 

If only you knew Alice, if only you knew, was what I felt like telling her. The real Edward had shown himself when I as with him, but he went back to the one I had known on that first day in Biology. Around me, it seemed like he was more comfortable. I saw him with his family, and he looked like the most recent Edward, the troublemaker.

"That's just what I felt like saying, sorry about that."

"It's interesting though," I said. And that's when I felt like telling her the truth, what Edward had told me. But again, it was his decision, not mine.

We paid for our clothes, and Alice did my hair and everything when we arrived at her house. I wasn't myself when I looked in the mirror, I was beautiful.

"Thank you Alice. It looks amazing, I love it."

"So now you know how to do the eye liner and everything, and how to do your hair." 

"Yes, can you do it again if I forget?" Alice nodded all businesslike. 

"Take all of these, I bought them especially for you, they don't work on my hair."

"Alice, I can't possibly take all of that, it's too much!" She kept holding out the shampoos and hairspray, so I finally took them.

"I really missed you Bella."

"Me too." She said good bye, and Edward met me at the door.

"You look awful, I don't recommend any of these hair products, or whatever they are." He picked up the eyeliner.

"Hmm…apparently not all shampoo and hairspray."

"Thanks Edward, will I see you tomorrow?"

"Probably not. But sometime eventually. Bye Edward." His green gaze briefly met mine, and I had to look away.

"Be safe, I'm serious. You seem to be a magnet for accidents."

"I'll be okay."

"Good. See you." I waved, and he closed the door.

**Next chapter is Edward's point of view. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

Isabella or Bella, I didn't know what I was calling her anymore, was riding in the passenger seat next to me in my Volvo. I was stressed out, and with good reason. The girl knew my deepest secret, and I was afraid she would tell someone. But for some reason, that seemed like a false concern.

While I had been telling her, I almost felt the pain of the incident. The fear and the emotions all seemed real even though it had happened a long time ago. It was something that was in my past, and I didn't want to revisit it, but I had. Every time that I wanted to stop, her beautiful voice kept me going.

And by the end I felt relieved, like a boulder had been taken off of my shoulders. But I was frustrated as well. Here was a girl that I had presumably hated, and now she was a friend? I just didn't think that we were friends, but maybe we were. The feelings that went through me were strange every time I met her gaze.

Relief? Yes, I felt relief, but it was much stronger than that. We had an odd relationship, we understood each other. Sometimes I felt like she needed me for some reason, and I definitely needed her. Did I possibly have feelings for her? A long term relationship was a foreign concept to me, I had never had one. But one with Isabella, it wasn't possible. No, the strange feelings were feelings of friendship, nothing more. So then, yes, we were friends.

I was soon brought back to reality because she gasped, and I saw why. The car was swerving, and maybe she thought we were about to crash. Please. I had only gotten one speeding ticket in my life.

"We're almost at the house. Ready to meet my parents?" I said in a detached voice. She just remained silent. What bothered me was that, when I looked at her, she looked beautiful.

I was suddenly nervous about entering the house, what would Isabella think of my parents? Or worse, what would they think of Bella?

But everything went fine, my parents were fine, but Esme was shooting dirty glares at me. I finally suggested that we go up to my room.

"Well Bella, would you like to go to my room?" I asked her once there was a pause. Carlisle glared at me even more than Esme had.

"Don't be ridiculous," I muttered, and stared back at him, then he finally glanced away. Bella looked confused, but said nothing.

I conversed with Bella a little more once we were in my room, and then it was silent. A quiet knock at the door made me jump.

"Come in," I said. Alice came in, and stared at Bella. I then knew that this was my cue to leave. If they were planning on making up, then this was a show that I could skip. Food seemed like a good option at this point. I didn't really know if I was hungry, I was just going to eat to do something.

Unfortunately, once I had opened the fridge door, Esme cornered me. The look on her face was fury. I honestly didn't know why, I hadn't done anything wrong today, and Bella hadn't told my parents about anything, so…

"Edward, would you care to explain who that is up there?" I wanted to laugh. This conversation was going to be about Bella, it would be amusing, no question about that.

"It's Bella." Esme's eyes blazed with fury.

"I figured out that much, would you tell me what exactly she's doing in my house," she hissed.

"Why would you ask that?" I found a bag of chips, and started eating.

"I'm asking because you rarely bring girls into this house, and I want to know why this one is here." I grabbed a handful of chips, and stuffed them in my mouth, it would take a long time to swallow.

"Would you please answer the question." Esme kept glaring. I finally swallowed, then grinned.

"Sorry mom, you always told me never to talk with my mouth full. I remember your exact words. "Edward, you never know who you'll meet, so you always want good manners." See, I was just practicing good manners." She was extremely angry now.

"And to answer your second question, she's my girlfriend." Esme opened her mouth, then closed it.

"She doesn't seem like your type of girl. Then again, I have no idea what type of girls you like."

"What do you mean, like miniskirts and halter tops?" She nodded.

"Well, they still are my types of girls, and I just told Bella to wear more formal clothing today since she was meeting you."

"What kind of grades does she get?"

"Worse than me." I said simply.

"I don't see how that could happen," Esme muttered. This was just too funny to be real.

"Did you know that I have a high B in math?"

"No, and I still wouldn't believe you if you said that you did."

"I also have some Ds too, Bella gets straight Es. It's really a shame, I've tried to be a good example, but she just won't listen. No matter how hard I try, nothing works." I sighed. Esme was just silent then.

"What have you two been up to?" I grinned at her question, this was going to be even more amusing.

"I don't exactly know what you mean. And why are you so mad now, you were pleasant 15 minutes ago?"

"You know exactly what I mean," she said angrily.

"What, like sex?" She nodded.

"Oh, we do that about five times a week." She gasped.

"Birth control?" She whispered.

"No. I think she's pregnant. Edward Jr. That's was we're planning on calling him if he's a boy. Don't you love the name "Edward Jr." Esme's face was red now.

"I know every family in this town. Tell me, who are her parents?" This was the part I had been waiting for.

"She's Chief Swan's daughter," I said in a casual voice, and ate another chip.

"You are…" Esme walked away. Well that was very relaxing after my stressful day. Then, Bella came down, and met Esme's furious gaze. She got scared, and I quickly went to her side.

"Bella, have you told them yet?" I asked gravely. Bella thought that I meant what we had discussed earlier.

"No Edward, have you?"

"Yes, I just did." Bella looked at Esme, and was confused.

"Why is she so angry about it? I thought that she would be happy that you finally told her." This was just too funny.

"Happy?" Esme hissed. "Why would I be happy that my seventeen year old son got you pregnant?" Could you please explain what was going through your head at the time?" Bella was even more confused, but then she burst out laughing.

"Um, I'm not pregnant. Edward must have lied to you. Don't worry, I would never do something as stupid as that. I also get straight As, except for a low grade in math, and I'm Chief Swan's daughter." Esme relaxed and smiled.

"I apologize for my rude behavior. Edward does have a tendency to lie." Bella smiled in response.

"Oh, do I even want to know what he said?" I was still standing there, and I was trying not to laugh, and was not succeeding.

"No, but I must ask you, are you in a relationship with Edward? That was one peace of information that he shared with me." Bella started blushing, and looked like a tomato by the end of Esme's question.

"No, not at all. We're just friends. I have no idea why I'm even friends with Edward, but you learn to tolerate him." Just great, that was not the response that I was imagining. I could feel that the show was coming to a close.

Esme left, and what happened next took me completely by surprise. A felt a hand collide with my face, Bella had just slapped me.

"Ow." I whined dramatically.

"Could you please explain why you decided to embarrass me in front of your mother, do you have a logical excuse?"

"No, I was bored."

"And you torture your parents when you're bored? Is that the only fun you have in life, annoying people?" I smiled.

"Yes, that's pretty much it." She walked away, and into the kitchen.

Esme and her seemed to be best friends now. They were discussing cooking, and making plans about learning how to cook together. Good lord, don't they have anything more interesting to talk about?

We all sat down for dinner, and I was bored. Alice talked about Mike Newton, and then she was making plans to go to Port Angeles with Bella.

"I don't want you out there past four, and stay in the main parts of the city." Everyone turned to stare at me, especially Bella. Why had I just said that? The rest of my family kept eating, and Bella had some strange look in her eyes.

I just had to say something, I wanted her to be safe. But I couldn't just follow her there, so I hoped that she would do what I told her. Besides, she would be with Alice. Maybe I should follow her there, but that would be very stalker-ish.

**While Bella's sleeping in the Cullen house…**

For some reason, I couldn't sleep tonight, so I had crept into Bella's room to see if she was still awake. But apparently she was asleep. As I was about to walk away, I heard her talk.

"Edward, be careful," she said quietly. Be careful about what? She was talking in her sleep, which was cute.

"Leave him alone, what is your problem, he never did anything to you!" Her voice was slowly getting louder. The only other room close to hers was mine.

"Edward, run! Stop, leave him alone." Her voice was scared.

"Alone," she mumbled. I knew that I shouldn't have told her anything, she was having a nightmare.

I went up to her and spoke softly. "It's over now, tough. It will never happen again, I promise. Don't worry Bella."

"Call an ambulance, he's hurt," she said urgently. She needed to stop having nightmares.

"Shh, it will never happen again," I repeated. She mumbled something incoherent, then rolled over.

"Sleep well, Bella. Nothing will happen." And I kissed her cheek so lightly, that she would never feel it. And if she did, it would be a dream, to her at least.

Right after I kissed her cheek, I knew what those strange new feelings were. I had never been in love, but now I was. It was a real feeling this time, and I had been denying it to myself. And I knew that I was in love with Isabella Swan, whether I wanted to be or not. But I would stay silent about it, and never say anything because she would never feel the same way, it was sad but true.

I walked silently to the door, took one last look at Bella, and closed the door behind me. Tomorrow was going to be hard, how was I going to hide my feelings?

**After Port Angeles…**

**(Brief Alice POV)**

I was starting to notice the way that Edward looked at Bella. He had, at the very least, a small crush on her. And I was going to do an extra good job to push his feelings in the right direction.

I was extremely proud of myself when I had finished, Bella looked amazing. If Edward didn't think that she at least looked pretty, then I had no sense of style. Apparently she thought so too. I wanted to laugh at the expression on her face when she looked in the mirror.

"Thank you Alice. It looks amazing, I love it!" Yes, this was good. If she was confident, then that would impress him even more.

"So now you know how to do the eyeliner and everything, and hair?" She nodded, and had a smile on her face.

"Take all of these, I bought them especially for you, they don't work on my hair." Bella protested, but I still held out the products. She finally took them, once she saw that I would not take them away.

"I really missed you Bella." It was good to finally have her back as a friend. Rosalie was right, Edward and Bella would fall for each other if it was meant to be.

"Me too." I said good-bye, and looked forward to seeing her tomorrow at school.

**EPOV**

Bella came down the stairs, and I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. Whatever Alice had done, made her look twice as beautiful as before. I would have to tease her in order to hide what I was thinking.

"You look awful, I don't recommend any of these hair products, or whatever they are." I absentmindedly picked up something that resembled eyeliner.

"Hmm…apparently not all shampoo and hairspray." Now I was saying random things to distract myself. It was a relief to know that is was working.

"Thanks Edward, will I see you tomorrow?" Her voice sounded like she actually wanted to see me, but I wouldn't go.

"Probably not, but sometime eventually." Maybe I should come and surprise her. No.

"Bye Edward," she said simply. I couldn't stop staring, but I had to.

"Be safe, I'm serious. You seem to be a magnet for accidents." This was actually something that I needed to say. She had to keep herself safe. Of course I would protect her when I could, but I couldn't be with her 24/7.

"I'll be okay." Her beautiful voice reassured me. I needed to fall out of love, but was that possible? Probably not.

I closed the door, and sighed. I had just fallen for a girl who didn't like me back. Terrific. Maybe she did like me. But that was impossible. At least we were friends now, and that was enough.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**BPOV**

I got home from Edward's house very tired. It had been a very long weekend, and I was looking forward to sleeping.

Once I was up in my room, I realized that I hadn't studied for my math quiz. My binder was sitting on the floor, and I opened it, skimming through the notes. Unfortunately, I understood nothing. Edward had offered to help, but I hadn't even gone over it five minutes with him.

"Shit," I whispered. As if my math grade wasn't already horrible. And this was more of a test than a quiz. I called him.

"Hello?" said a male voice that was not his.

"Is Edward there?" I asked whoever it was, frantically.

"Who is this?"

"It's Bella. Is this Emmett?"

"Oh, hey Bella, no he's not here right now."

"Do you know when he'll be back?" Emmett sighed.

"No, he never tells us anything." This was just great. If only he had given his siblings a time.

"If he does come home before midnight, can you ask him to give me a call?" There was a game on tonight, so Charlie would be going to bed much later.

"Yeah sure, I don't know if he'll be back by midnight, but I'll pass on the message." Alice had good grades in math, she could help me.

"Is Alice there? I think she could help me with what I want."

"She's not here either, out somewhere with Rosalie." I couldn't ask Emmett to help me, I would sound way too desperate. I probably already sounded desperate, but I didn't care.

"Thanks Emmett, I really appreciate it. Tell Edward or Alice to call my cell." Edward had the number, but I gave it to Emmett, just in case.

"Bye Bella, see you tomorrow." Fun, I had math 3rd period.

"Bye Emmett." I hung up the phone, and brought my cell phone right next to me. Suddenly, it rang, and the most awful ringtone. What the heck? It had been on vibrate before, but now?

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella, it's Alice." Oh my god, thank you.

"Hey Alice, aren't you out with Rosalie?"

"Yeah, we're shopping now, but Emmett called me and said that you called." I wanted to call Emmett back, and tell him that I loved him.

"Alice, I need help with math. Do you have time?" Alice stayed silent on the other end.

"What problems?" I started reciting them.

"Bella, I have no paper with me right now, or a calculator. I'm so sorry. Have you tried the book?"

"Yes I have." In fact, I had gone over the book about ten times before I had given up.

"I'm so sorry, I tried to do the first problem that you told me in my head, but I can't do it. I can try to tell you the basics." Alice started talking, and I wrote down what she said. I hadn't heard half of it, because of loud music blaring in the back round.

"Does that help?"

"Well, I couldn't exactly hear you, but I got a few things down, I'll see if I can figure it out. Thank you."

"This is really Edward's thing, he's much better than me. If you told him one problem at a time, it would only take him a minute, and his explanation would be good." Alice sighed.

"Thanks Alice, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, sorry I couldn't help out more, math is my hardest subject." We said good bye, and I hung up. With my notes, I consulted the book again, and nothing made sense.

I looked at my available ringtones, and picked something that didn't sound like that awful one. Edward had certainly set it up for me. Going to bed sounded good. Edward wasn't going to call me back, so I got ready and fell asleep.

**EPOV**

I'd had a good time at Patrick's and I was looking forward to sleeping. As soon as I entered the house though, Alice and Emmett glared at me. What the fuck? I hadn't done anything wrong, and why were they still awake?

"Excuse me, I would appreciate it if you would move, I have to go to bed." They were still glaring at me. "What?"

"Where have you been?" Alice hissed.

"Patrick's house, why?" They actually liked Patrick somewhat, and I had no clue as to why they were so upset.

"Bella called," Emmett said in a hard voice. Bella called? Why the hell would she do that?

"Okay, and this has to do with me, because…?"

"Because she wanted to speak to you, and you were out doing whatever you usually do," Alice kept glaring. What was her problem?

"Okay, I was out, big deal. So what? You two never care that I'm out, so what's the difference now. And I doubt that Bella wanted to speak with me." Alice just kept glaring.

"Bella wanted help with math." She said simply. I started swearing under my breath. She hadn't wanted help today.

"Okay, and how does this affect me in any way?" Emmett spoke up.

"Because you're good at math."

"Okay, why couldn't you help her Alice, you have As." Why were they so mad?

"I was shopping and there was loud music in the backround playing, and she was trying to recite problems to me, and I couldn't figure them out." I was still confused.

"Why didn't you tell her the basics?"

"I tried, but she could barely hear me." Was Alice stupid or something?

"Then you could have stepped out of the store, and then told her," I said in an irritated voice. Why couldn't I just go to sleep? I didn't need this at night, or I guess it was the morning now.

"There was music all over the mall."

"Then why didn't you call me on my cell phone?"

"I don't have your number." Alice told me acidly.

"Look, I offered her help over the weekend, and she didn't want any. How am I supposed to help her if she won't let me?"

"Whatever, if she flunks, it's your fault." Shit. It would not be my fault if she flunked.

"I'll figure something out. What period does she have math?" Alice stared back at me coldly.

"She has it third period, before lunch." The morning was the only time that I could help. She would never skip class.

"Okay, I'll do my best, to help…Isabella." I told Alice bitterly. So I was only going to get three hours of sleep.

**BPOV**

Charlie was gone in the morning, and I slowly got ready, dreading the test/quiz in math. Once I got out the door, I saw something that took me by surprise. Edward's Volvo was in my driveway. He got out, and quickly jogged up to my side.

"Okay, we probably only have ten minutes if you plan to get to the school on time. Show me your hardest problems, and don't ask why I'm here."

"What on Earth?" I asked him, but he just ignored me.

Evidently I was going at too slow a pace for him. He yanked my notebook out of my hand, and skimmed through the problems. I saw him pause for about ten seconds, then he started explaining. He talked at the fastest speed that I had ever heard in my life, but after ten minutes, I understood every one of the problems.

"Better?" he asked, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, thank you." He exhaled.

"How did you know that I needed help?"

"Emmett bombarded me with what had happened over the phone with you yesterday, and then Alice told me that she had tried to help you, but couldn't. I got home at about three in the morning, and you said midnight, so I sped over here this morning." He finished quickly.

"Thanks for coming over this morning. Where were you?"

"Over at Patrick's. Do you want my cell phone number? It honestly wouldn't bother me if you called me. Either I hear it, or I don't." I went back to the house, and got a key to lock it, bringing my backpack with me. I could have just left it on the porch, but whatever.

"Okay."

"I'll give it to you later, you're going to be…shit."

"What's wrong?" I asked him, alarmed.

"You only have five minutes to get to school. Get in, I'll give you a ride." He didn't wait for an answer, and just dragged me to his car by my sleeve. Before I could say a word, he was speeding.

"Put on your seat belt! I'm driving much faster than I usually do." I didn't even look at the speedometer.

We reached the school on time, and he parked near it, but so that no one could see him. He was looking at me impatiently.

"Go, it's going to ring in a minute." I looked around for my backpack, and soon realized that I had left it in my house. He saw that I didn't have it, and opened the glove compartment, pulling out a pencil and a pad of paper.

"Take it, we don't have much time," he said.

"Why do you keep this here?" For someone who skipped school, it seemed very strange.

"I'll tell you that later, just go." The bell just rang, and I was late for the first time in my life.

"Why the hell are you still here?" He asked me in a harsh voice.

"I don't know." Truly, I didn't. For some reason, I wanted to skip with Edward.

"Go, I'm sorry I didn't get you here sooner, it's my fault." I didn't move.

"Thanks for giving me a ride." He looked extremely irritated.

"Yes, whatever. You should be in class now. You're at least three minutes late!" Oh, whoops. I hopped out of the car, and waved at him. He didn't wave back, and gave me a gesture that meant "get away". When I turned around, he was gone.

I knocked at the classroom door, and the teacher opened it looking mad. I knew that I was in for it. Charlie would kill me.

"Miss Swan, care to explain why you're late today?" I blushed furiously. The whole class was giving me curious stares, including Angela.

"I was running late," I mumbled.

"Okay," he sighed, "everyone is late at some point in their life. Just try and make sure that it doesn't happen again. I'll mark you as on time." Wow, this was good. Maybe my good grades were why he excused me.

**After School, BPOV**

I went out to the parking lot, expecting to see my car, but then I remembered that Edward had given me a ride this morning. My test had been easy, thanks to Edward. Oh well, walking two miles would be okay. As soon as I was out of the school's view, a silver Volvo was following me.

"Edward, how did you know?" He grinned.

"I may be stupid, but I know what time school ends." I smiled in response. Why did Edward always make me so happy?

"Cool. Thanks for giving me a ride." He nodded, and the same beautiful piano music came on. I listened to it, and was quiet.

"Did your test go well?" He actually sounded somewhat interested.

"Yeah, thank you. It was a little challenging, but I understood most of it, I probably got a low B."

"This a good thing?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's not an A, but it's not an F."

"You want to go to my house, or should I drive you to yours?" I considered what he said. Was it okay to socialize first, and then do my homework? Yes, I decided, yes it was.

"Can we stop by my house really quick to get my backpack?" I asked him.

"Even when socializing you still need your homework?" I grinned in response.

"Yes, just in case you bore me to death."

"I don't think that's possible, but I'll do my best." He was so close to me, that I could kiss him. What would it feel like? No, Bella. You hate Edward Cullen. He pulled his face back.

"You're right, it would be a challenge. Let's not go back to your place, let's go back to the hill." A crooked grin flashed across his face, and he sped at a deadly speed.

"That is not fun." And after that comment, the car accelerated.

"Better?" He said.

"No," I screeched.

"Too bad," was all he said.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

Edward drove us to the hill, and he held my hand as we slowly climbed up. He had a small smile on his face.

"Want to try something Bella?" His smile turned into a smirk.

"Depends on what it is," I said suspcisiously. There was definitely a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Want me to carry you up?" I looked behind me. We had only gone up about two rocks, and still had a fair amount to climb.

"How about not," I said. He was still smirking. I turned to look around, and then I flew up, and was in his arms.

The feeling that coursed through me was unnerving. I wanted to be in his arms forever. Why was he Edward Cullen? Why did he have to smoke? And it didn't matter that he was now running up rocks with me in his arms, I was in love with him. Too soon, we were at the top.

"Wasn't that faster Bella?" His voice was beautiful.

"Yeah, I guess." He stared into my eyes for a moment, then looked away.

"What?"

"It's nothing," he said in a distant voice. He was in his memories again, but I didn't know where.

He laid down in the grass, and closed his eyes. It made me feel jealous how good looking he was. I heard a humming sound coming from his lips. Then it hit me. Edward played the piano, not Rosalie, he had lied to me about it.

"It's you who plays, isn't it? The piano, I mean." His eyes opened, and he looked at me.

"What makes you think so?" His voice was gentle, not harsh like it sometimes was.

"It just fits you, and just now you were humming a familiar tune." He looked away.

"You're right, I do."

"Then why did you lie to me?" I asked him quietly.

"It makes me sound weak. I only play when I'm alone in the house."

"You're not weak Edward, you're strong, why don't you play in front of people?"

"I compose my own music, and it does make me weak. I never let my guard down, even in front of my family. They're used to me being distant, so I rarely ever think about it," he finished in soft voice.

"Would you play for me sometime?" I asked him timidly. He deliberated.

"Maybe, it's okay with you, I don't mind," he whispered.

"Oh," was all I said.

It was quiet for a while. Neither of us had anything to say, but I didn't want to sleep. Edward was still laying down. I touched his hand, but he didn't flinch. His eyes opened again, and they were soft and gentle.

I could picture his fingers playing the piano keys. They would be graceful, and flow with ease. I looked at a blade of grass, still holding his hand.

"Do you mind my touch?" I whispered.

"No. It's fine," he said softly. I caressed his hand with my fingertips, and looked at his palm.

His eyes were still closed. I wanted to see his green gaze that was always thoughtful, and gentle. Why didn't he move away from me as I held his hand? It felt right to be sitting there with him.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I said in a quiet voice.

"No," was all he said.

So we just stayed there. Me kneeling down, and observing a blade of grass with his hand securely in mine, and he laying down. It was so peaceful, and I never wanted to leave.

Then his hand was no longer in my palm. I could feel it going up my arm, and it rested on my shoulders. Gently, he pulled me down. But he didn't need to do all of the work. I came down closer to his face, and our lips were just an inch apart. He tilted his head to the side, and I leaned down, and kissed him. When our lips met, I became him, and he became me. We blended in together, and it felt wonderful.

Both his hands tangled in my hair, and I put both my arms around him. He laid on his side, and pulled me closer to him on the ground. We briefly separated to breathe.

"I'm so sorry Edward, I…" I just trailed off. He pressed his index finger to my lips.

"Don't start," he whispered. Then I had to tell him.

"I love you Edward," I whispered. He looked at me, his eyes gentle.

My comment brought on another round of kissing, and I obeyed him, and said no more. It just continued like that for a while.

**EPOV**

Bella was going to apologize for kissing me, but I didn't want to hear it. When her lips had met mine, I felt amazing. Her lips fit perfectly with mine, and I didn't stop. The kiss was sweet, and full of emotion. But then she said something that took my breath away.

"I love you Edward." She said this shyly, and I brought her closer to me, and kissed her even more powerfully than before.

We just kept kissing, occasionally breaking apart for air, and then my hand started to wander up her back, under her shirt.

**BPOV**

I had just been kissing Edward, and now I felt his hand coming up beneath my shirt, but I didn't care. It still wandered up my back, and to my bra clasp. He started fiddling with it, trying to unhook it, but I shivered. He immediately stopped, and his hands slid to my lower back, but still remained under my shirt.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"Thank you for stopping Edward."

**EPOV**

My hands felt their way up her back, and I found her bra clasp. I was unhooking it, but stopped when I felt her shiver beneath me. She didn't want to, so I dropped my hands. However, her hands had started wandering up my shirt, and they rested on my chest.

My shirt came off, but I did nothing. Her body was pressed against mine, and I held her gently. If she wanted to go, then she could.

"Is this making out?" I heard her ask in a whisper.

"I think," I said.

"How can you not know?"

"I have never made out with anyone," I said simply.

"But you must go clubbing, and make out with girls at the same time." I stopped kissing her, and responded.

"If I love a girl, and she wants to make out, then fine. But I've only kissed. I would never do that to a girl who didn't want it or do it when I didn't want to," I murmured.

"Edward," she said, "if you don't feel the same way that I do, then we shouldn't be doing this, or anything." I chuckled.

"Bella, I love you too," I whispered. I had been waiting for those words to escape from my mouth for a long time. I kissed her again, and pulled her on top of me.

I was on the grass, and she was on my stomach. Hearing her breathing come and go was peaceful. I felt complete in myself, and never wanted to be separated from her.

"Where does this leave us?" She asked me suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Are we in a relationship now?" I laughed.

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know, I would like to, but you'll have some other girl chasing you later," she said. I grimaced. Even though she loved me, she still had a somewhat bad opinion of me.

**BPOV**

"I don't know, I would like to, but you'll have some other girl chasing you later," I said. Edward was just too beautiful to be true, and he might have some other girl after him.

"You don't trust me?" He questioned.

"Of course I do, but you're beautiful Edward, girls will always be after you," I finished gravely.

"Oh, so you're not worried about me cheating on you?" Why did he think that?

"Of course not, I'm just not interesting enough." Edward laughed.

"Bella, you are far more interesting than you think. And don't worry about other girls, I love you." He said this so sincerely, that I believed him.

"I want to be in a relationship. In my whole life, I have never wanted one, but now I do," he said. He kissed me softly on the lips after he said that.

"Alright then, Edward Cullen, my new boyfriend," I said.

"Girlfriend," he whispered.

I was officially in a relationship with Edward Cullen. He was the last person I would or could picture myself with, but here I was. Kissing the most beautiful boy in the world.

He turned to his side, and held me in his arms. The sun was setting, and he said that we should go.

"Want me to carry you again?" He said. His tone wasn't sarcastic, just playful.

"Would it hurt your feelings if I said no?" I wondered. He smiled.

"No. I'll take that as a negative then." He held my hand as we went down slowly, and stopped when we got down to give me a brief kiss.

The car ride back was quiet. I suddenly wondered where we were going.

"Edward, where are you driving to?" He looked confused.

"Your house, why?"

"Can we go to yours instead? I'm not in the mood to go home." He laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound in my world.

"Okay, call Chief Swan, and don't forget to tell him that I've kidnapped you, and taken you hostage." I grinned at his comment. Charlie said I could stay at the Cullens' house if I wanted to.

"What about Charlie?" I asked him suddenly. Edward gave me a strange look.

"What about him?"

"He's the police chief Edward. Haven't you run into him a couple of times?" Edward smirked.

"Yeah, I have. But it doesn't matter, we'll keep it a secret."

"Okay," I agreed. "But what if Alice finds out?" He responded in a dark tone.

"If Alice finds out, then she'll keep her mouth shut if she knows what's good for her." I grimaced.

"Don't threaten people," I said. He sighed, looked into my eyes, and I got lost in his green gaze.

"We're here," he said. I looked at his house, and he opened the car door for me.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome," he said in a gentle voice.

He held out his hand for me, and I gladly took it. Together we went into his house, and Alice saw us. Edward cussed under his breath, and she looked at me, then our hands which were together.

"Hey Bella," she said in a quiet voice.

"Hi Alice," I sighed. Edward squeezed my hand and left knowing that Alice was going to bombard me with questions.

"Bella, would you mind coming up to my room with me?" I looked around for Edward, but he was gone. We got up to her room, and I sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Tell me Bella, how was your day?" She was grinning.

"Good," I said in a dull voice.

"What was so nice about it?"

"Edward helped me with math this morning, and I got a fairly good grade on the test," I said, hoping that she would give up.

"And that was the highlight of your day?"

"Yes," I said flatly. She glanced at me.

"Tell me, why were you walking in the door with Edward?" Alice asked.

"He picked me up from school," I responded automatically.

"Yes, but school ended hours ago, how have you been at school all this time? And why is your hair so messy? Edward's was too." That's where my excuse failed.

"His hair is always messy, and we went running." Alice smirked at my pathetic excuse.

"Are you insulting my intelligence Bella?" She asked. I was confused.

"Of course not Alice, I didn't call you stupid."

"No, not literally. But you must think that I'm stupid if you think that I'm going to fall for your excuse. You can't even walk across a flat surface without tripping, how were you able to run. I've seen you in gym." That was the problem.

"We only ran a mile or so." Alice was still smirking.

"Tell me, what's your average mile time? Can you even run a mile?"

"No, but I can run/walk it. And if I hurry about 15 minutes, and 20 if I go slowly. Generally I try to take it slow."

"Do you know what Edward's mile times are?"

"No clue, pretty fast," I guessed. She nodded.

"A few seconds les than six minutes." I stared at her. Less than six minutes? How was that possible?!

"Well," I stammered. "Edward was very patient with me." The story was pathetic.

"Edward would never wait for twenty minutes. But anyway, let's say that your story was true, you were running for twenty minutes. How does that cover the rest of the time that you were gone? You said that he picked you up from school. And why was he holding your hand?"

I was about to respond when Edward came strolling in.

**EPOV**

Alice had Bella up against a wall, and was questioning her like she had committed a murder. Sometimes my sister never gave up. Why couldn't she leave my…girlfriend…alone?

"Alice, what's going on here?" She smiled at me sweetly.

"Nothing Eddie-bear, just asking Bella how her day was. Why's your hair so messy?"

"No reason, didn't brush it today." Alice kept smiling.

"So Edward, you have a very fast mile time, right?" I didn't know what she was getting at.

"Yeah, I guess so. If you call below six minutes fast."

"Lovely, would you stay with someone who couldn't even run one mile?"

"Probably not," I said.

"See Bella." She turned away from me.

"Edward wouldn't wait for you. He always has to go faster, it doesn't matter where." I suddenly understood. Bella had been trying to sell her an excuse about why we were here so late. She had told Alice that we had gone running.

"Bella, you told her?" I hissed. She got scared, and I marched right up to her.

"N-no, of course not, Edward. It's your news to tell," she sounded frantic.

"Get outside. Why are you constantly telling lies?" I grabbed her arm, and yanked her out the door. Alice came running up to us.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't know that Edward would react like this. Let her go Edward!"

"You can't tell me to do anything, Alice," I snarled, and slammed the door in her face.

Bella just followed me, and I removed my hand from her arm. By the time I had gotten to my room, I was laughing hysterically. The look on Bella's face pushed me over the edge.

"What was all the anger about?"

"Alice couldn't possibly think that I loved you, if I acted like that." She giggled.

**BPOV**

I had been terrified by Edward's outburst, but what he did made sense. His arms snaked around my waist, and he kissed me. My arms wrapped themselves around his neck, and we sat on his black couch.

"What is going on here Ed…" Esme trailed off at the sight of me and Edward kissing. He jumped up, shocked.

"Can I help you with something, mom? I was very busy, and would like to get back to what I was doing."

"Clearly," she said in a dark voice. Then Jasper came in.

"Hey, what's all the commotion about? I heard Alice yelling at you." Jasper looked murderously at Edward. Then he saw me in his arms, and marched out of Edward's room. Alice stared at us, her mouth was open in shock.

I had Carlisle, Esme, and Alice staring at me, and I couldn't take it anymore. It was like I was in a zoo or something. So I turned my head into Edward's chest, and closed my eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school Bella. Are you staying for dinner?" Alice tried to say in a normal voice.

"You don't have to," Edward murmured into my hair. But I did want to. He pressed his lips to my hair, completely oblivious to his watching family.

"Yes," I said into his chest, so that only he could hear me.

"She'll stay," he told them for me.

"Good, I'll see you after dinner, Edward," Esme said.

"Yeah, whatever," he said in a detached voice. I heard the door close, and I looked around.

"How much trouble are you in?" I asked. He shrugged.

"I'm always in trouble, what's a little more going to do?" I smiled.

"Caught in the act," I whispered.

"Indeed," was all he said.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

EPOV

Dinner was a silent event, and my family glanced at me, and occasionally Bella. She blushed every time someone looked at her, and I took her hand for comfort. A small smile came on her face when I touched her, and I grinned back. Alice was ecstatic, and had a look of glee on her face, which made me glare darkly at her.

Occasionally, Rosalie would put in how her day went with Emmett. Apparently they went bowling, and three boys started hitting on her, and Emmett punched them in the face. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Edward, can you come with me into the kitchen." I looked back at him, and I couldn't read the expression on Esme's face.

"Um, hold on. I need to go to my room really quick." Without waiting for permission, I took Bella's hand, and ran up the stairs with her, and into my room.

"What was all that for?" she asked breathlessly. I smiled in response.

"I just want to say goodbye incase I don't come back." She got worried, and frowned.

"I can come if you want. This was partially my idea too," she said.

"No, I'll face Esme's wrath. She's rarely angry, but once she gets started, she's livid." Bella sighed.

"How long will you be?"

"Hmm. It could take anywhere from ten to thirty minutes," I said, still smiling. Whenever Esme was mad, it always amused me.

"Thirty minutes?" She looked at me incredulously. I shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'll be back as soon as I can, don't worry. Do you want to listen to any music, or read a book?" She laughed.

"Music sure, but you have books?"

"Yeah, a fair number?" She looked at me curiously.

"What do you have?" I looked at my bookshelf.

"You can come look if you want," I said. She shook her head.

BPOV

"You can come look if you want," he said.

"When I'm bored, I read," he told me, shrugging. I had homework to do too, and I didn't want to fall behind.

"Well, thanks for the offer, but I have some work to catch up on." I hoped that I hadn't hurt his feelings. He just looked at me.

"They're not very interesting, I don't blame you," he said in a bored voice.

"Okay, don't be too long. What type of music do you have?" He paused, and looked at me like I was crazy, and gestured to the wall of CDs.

"Anything you want, just put it into the stereo."

"Maybe you should do that." He looked confused.

"Why don't you want to do it?" He asked me curiously.

"Because I'm probably one of the clumsiest people alive, and I would most likely break it." I said, embarrassed. The stereo looked extremely expensive, and I didn't want to buy him a new one. He chuckled.

"Okay, what do you want to listen to?" I had no clue.

"Pick out something."

"Um, I really don't know what your preferences are." Suddenly I knew.

"I want to listen to your piano, I only heard what's in the car, but I want to hear more." He looked uncomfortable, then sighed.

"Okay, take you pick." He gestured to a shelf with about ten CDs.

"The first," I said automatically. He smiled again, and put it into the CD player, and pressed play.

"You set? I probably should warn you," he said. "Alice might come in, and bother you. Feel free to lock the door, I'll tell you if it's me." I nodded. He came over and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.

"Edward?" I heard Esme yell. He had a small smile on his lips.

"Wish me luck." I nodded and watched him close the door. The beautiful piano music kept playing, and I couldn't wait to see Edward play it in front of me. Then I heard a tiny knock on the door.

"Hey Edward," Alice called. "Can I come in?" I didn't respond, and what she said next made me giggle.

"If you're having an intense make out session with Bella, then detach yourself." She'd had enough, and barged in. She looked confused when she only saw me.

"Where's Edward?" She asked in an annoyed voice.

"Downstairs getting lectured," I said. She grinned.

"Lovely, you're by yourself, so I have all day to question you." I groaned, and laid down on the black couch.

"Get it over with, will you," I said in defeat.

"So, are you really in a relationship with Edward?" I groaned again.

"What do you think?" I told her simply.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question. Yes, you are," she continued.

"Now, how far have you gone?" Oh my god. She did seriously not just ask me that.

"Alice what kind of a question is that? That's my business, not yours. I've only been in a relationship with him for a couple of hours. Who sleeps with someone that they've just started dating?" She pursed her lips.

"Okay, sorry. That is none of my business. Can I give you a make over?" She asked, smiling.

"No." I would not be her personal Barbie.

"Edward would love you even more," she said with glee.

"No, and how can you love someone even more?"

"I don't know," she actually admitted. "But I would have so much fun. Wasn't last time a blast? You looked so happy when you saw yourself." I sighed.

"Maybe for you, but not for me. And I already know how to do what you taught me last time."

"Please, please, please!" I would not give in.

"No," I said. "That's my final answer." Then I heard Rosalie, and I sighed in relief.

"What are you doing in Edward's room, he'll kill you if he finds out," she said. Maybe Rosalie could get Alice out of Edward's room.

"Rosalie, come here really quick," she bounced up and down. When Rosalie saw me, she dropped whatever she was holding, and rushed into the room.

"Oh my god Bella. Tell me everything that happened," she squealed. Okay, apparently I was wrong about the getting Alice out of my room.

"No. Please just get Alice out," I said in an irritated voice. Rosalie glared at her sister.

"Clearly Bella doesn't want you here Alice, she only wants to tell me what happened, go away," she said in a harsh voice.

Alice however wouldn't go out, and she stayed exactly where she was. Why couldn't they just leave me alone?

"I really appreciate that you want to know what happened, and you want to make me look better Alice, but honestly, I don't feel like talking right now." I actually wanted to do homework, but I couldn't while being surrounded. Alice laughed.

"Come on Rose, lets start with her hair." Rosalie nodded, and they both grabbed my wrists, and dragged me to Alice's bathroom.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"Giving you a makeover. The flat iron might hurt if it comes in contact with your skin, so try not to move." This was ridiculous.

"Let go," I tried to struggle. They wouldn't move, so I did the only thing that I could think of.

"Ed-ward!" I yelled.

"Be quiet, he's busy with Esme, she's angry enough with him. If he walks out, then she'll be furious." They did have a point. But I heard someone come in the room, and I exhaled in relief. Except it was Emmett, not Edward.

"Hey, did Bella yell?" He then saw me, and looked confused.

"You alright Bella?" He asked me, concerned. Alice responded for me.

"She's great, we're just giving her a makeover because Edward requested it, and I want to be on good terms with him." What the hell? Emmett's confused look relaxed.

"Oh, well Edward is kind of strange. See you Bella." And he walked out, I wanted to call him back, but he had already descended the stairs, then Jasper burst in through the door.

"Hey," but he was cut off by Rosalie.

"Jasper, I'm trying to focus on Bella's hair, stop," she hissed. Jasper went back out.

"Rosalie, don't ever talk to him like that again," Alice said angrily. I didn't know if they were frying my hair or not.

"If you're going to torture me, then can you at least pay attention and not fry my hair, just straighten it," I begged. They stopped their glaring contest, and got back to work.

"Sorry Alice, all these interruptions," she said in a tired voice. Alice nodded and started working on my hair again.

"When we're done, we can put make up on you. Edward will be thrilled," she said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I said sarcastically. I yelled for him again, and Alice told be to be quiet.

"We want this to be a surprise, don't spoil it." I desperately wanted to return to his black couch, and just listen to the piano music.

They were apparently done with my hair, and Alice opened a mascara tube with a devilish smile on her face.

"Ready Bella?"

"No," I tried to say in a firm voice.

"That's a shame," was all she said. She was about to put in on my eyelashes, when she door banged open, and then I saw him. Alice marched right up to him.

"What are you doing here Edward? Shouldn't you be downstairs with Esme?" He glared at her then looked at me, and I smiled slightly.

"I'm wondering the same thing," he said. She glared at him.

"This happens to be my room, so why wouldn't I be here?" She asked rudely.

"Fine, I'll rephrase my question. Why does Bella look unhappy, and why does Rosalie have a flatiron in her hand, or whatever it's called? Oh, and why do you have make up in your hand?" He asked her in a hard voice. She smirked back up at him.

"We're giving Bella a makeover for you, so she can look even more beautiful than she already is," Alice said sweetly. He glared at her.

"Do I honestly have to shove you away to get Isabella back?" Alice looked confused, and paused.

"Why are you calling her Isabella, she doesn't like it," she asked. But Edward had walked passed her while she was distracted, but Rosalie was now guarding me.

"Rosalie, do you want me to go get Emmett?" Rosalie looked at him, and answered in a bored voice.

"I just wanted to do her hair, Alice wanted to put makeup on her." He nodded, and held out his hand for me.

"Thanks Rosalie," I murmured. She nodded, staring at Alice who was now disappointed.

"See ya Alice," I said in a cheerful voice. She glared at me, and shook her head. Edward closed the door once we had gotten to his room.

"I was serious when I said that you could lock the door," he said. I laughed, and he sat on the couch with me.

"I should take your advice next time." He laughed.

"Yeah, Alice can get a little excited when she has her mind set on something." I agreed with him.

"So, you going to school tomorrow?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Not biology, someone might see that we like each other, and we're trying to keep it a secret, I'll probably go to math, we have a test."

"I don't want to keep it a secret. Are your parents going to tell Charlie?" I whispered.

"No, and I don't want to keep it a secret either, but your dad would kill me for sure." He sounded vulnerable now.

"You're worried?"

"A little, but I try not to think about it. Worrying doesn't do any good." He said in a more confident voice now.

"It'll be okay," I said. He pulled me into his arms once we were seated, and I sat on his lap, and leaned my head against his chest.

"I know, I'll always be there for you Bella, even if someone does find out," he said softly.

"Thank you," I whispered.

EPOV Esme and Carlisle lecturing Edward

I followed Esme and Carlisle into the kitchen, and sighed, this was going to take a while. Why couldn't I go up and see Bella, this was such a waste of my time.

"So Edward, would you care to explain what is going on?" Esme tried to say in a calm voice.

"I'm in a relationship with Bella, and that's pretty much it." I said simply.

"You told me earlier that you had gotten her pregnant, she wore bad clothing, and she got straight Fs. Is any of this true?" Esme hissed. I smirked.

"Yes, everything. Of course not, Mom. I've been in a relationship with her for only two hours."

"That's okay, I guess. So she's not who you said she was?" I nodded.

"You do realize that she is Chief Swan's daughter?" Carlisle asked. All color drained from my face. If he found out…I didn't even want to think about the consequences.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" I whispered.

"Should we?" Carlisle asked in a serious voice.

"No, I won't do anything to her, I promise," I tried to say calmly. Esme gave me a look.

"We won't say anything, but please be careful Edward. I'm not mad at you, just worried." She sounded sad.

"I'll be careful mom, I'm taking this seriously," I said, relaxed. If they told Chief Swan, then Bella and I couldn't be together anymore, no question about that. And I went up and hugged them both, something that I hadn't done in years. Esme started crying, and Carlisle looked emotional.

We talked more about the relationship, and just life in general for a while more. Then I heard Bella yell, but I heard Emmett go see her, and I figured she was okay. After a few more minutes, I heard her yell my name again.

"Can I go see what's going on?" I asked them.

"Sure Edward, and I'm happy for you." I gave them a quick smile, and ran up the stairs.

When I got up the stairs, I sighed. Bella was sitting on a chair with her hair completely straightened, and looked miserable. Alice was holding something that she was about to put on her eyes.

Alice challenged me while I tried to get to Bella, but finally I distracted her. Rosalie just moved aside, and I thanked her. Bella and I talked till we got to my room, and we resumed our original position on the couch.

"What happened Edward?" She asked me, worried.

"Nothing, they won't tell Charlie, so we're okay for now." I don't know if she heard the emphasis on "for now."

"You're not in trouble?" She questioned.

"No, I just reassured them that you weren't some bimbo that I randomly met," I said, and rolled my eyes. Bella giggled.

"They really thought that?"

"Yes, after what I told them, they did." She sighed, and looked at me.

"But they're okay with it? They don't mind me?" She was worried, but she had no reason to be.

"Yes, they're actually a little happy for me. Esme seems angry, but I think she's happy," I said, trying to reassure her. She sighed, and I ran my fingers trough her hair.

"It's a lot softer, they did a good job, but I like your natural hair much better," I whispered into her ear. She laughed quietly, and pretty soon fell asleep. I stared at her for a while, and felt my eyes closing as I drifted off.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

I woke up in Edward's arms, and I sighed. It was so hard to believe that today was still my first day as Edward's girlfriend. I kissed his cheek softly, trying not to wake him up, but he did anyway. I felt him shift, and I turned my head.

"Hi Bella," he said sweetly. I smiled, and he kissed me on the lips lightly.

"Hi back," I sighed again.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I don't know, it just seems so late, what time is it?" I said absentmindedly. He glanced briefly at the clock, and then responded.

"Eight," he said calmly. Shit! I had missed dinner twice with Charlie, he was going to kill me.

"Please tell me you're joking," I begged. He got an extremely cute confused expression on his face.

"No, but why does it matter?"

"Because, I've missed dinner twice in a row now, Charlie's going to be furious!" I was starting to get into a frenzy.

"Are you worried about the cooking?"

"Why wouldn't I be concerned about not cooking for him? And family time too?" I asked him in a sharp tone.

"Look, your father managed to feed himself till you came, so don't feel bad about wanting to take a break on occasion." Then I started sobbing, I didn't know why.

"I've just always taken care of everyone, and now I can't stop." He pressed his lips to mine, and kissed my tears away.

"Just take care of yourself. Do you really want to do homework all the time, and take care of your family?" Edward had been honest with me, so it was time I was honest with him.

"No, if I didn't study as much as I do, then I wouldn't be getting straight As all the time. And I always took care of my mother, and now my father needs me. I just can't give up my responsibilities. You're right, I don't like studying all the time." He looked at me, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Then don't study all the time," he said simply.

"But I won't get straight As, and I'm aiming for a scholarship." He sighed

"Look Bella, a couple Bs here and there won't kill you. So what if you have a little less than a 4.0? Does it really matter?" Did it matter? Yes, how was I supposed to get into a good school with poor grades?

"I just can't stop. You wouldn't understand," I muttered. He now looked angry.

"You think I don't understand? I do perfectly. If I hadn't been such an idiot, then I probably could have gone to college. I can't even get into one Bella, it's too late," he said.

"No," I said fiercely. "It's not too late for you. Start studying, and you can at least get into the local community college, and fix your grades there, then you can go to a better school." He just laughed.

"Bella, it's not just grades that affect whether I get into college." I didn't understand what he was getting at. He must have seen the bewildered expression on my face. He answered very softly.

"Did you forget that I have a criminal record? What about teacher recommendations? I can't get any of those."

"No," I tried to say confidently, but I was lying. "None of it matters."

"It does, but I believe we were talking about you, not me." I was tired of talking about me.

"I just feel pressured all the time, and my parents would be furious if I didn't get straight As," I said.

**EPOV**

"Then don't feel pressured, do something about it. You don't have to study all the time. I'm not saying that you should get grades like I do, I'm just saying that you shouldn't study all of the time. What are your best subjects?" She thought for a minute before answering.

"Spanish, History, and English."

"You left out biology, and math so why don't you," but I was cut off.

"No, I forgot to mention them," she said desperately. She was too stubborn for her own good.

"Please let me finish. Since you're better at those subjects, then study less for them, and focus more on math and biology." She probably wouldn't try it, but I had to try and loosen her up a little.

"I guess that could work, but it would be sort of hard for me to get used to it."

"You should still study for those subjects, just not as much. And about the taking care of your parents thing, stop doing that. They're adults."

"But…" I put my finger to her lips gently, and I felt her relaxing at my touch.

"And, you probably should get home. Have you done any homework?"

"Thank you Edward, I'll try. And will you do something for me in return?" She asked shyly.

"Depends on what it is," I said wearily. She finally smiled.

"Go to school for a day tomorrow." I froze.

"No," I said in a firm voice. Her face fell slightly, and I put my finger under her chin.

"Oh." She snuggled back into my chest, but her phone rang.

"Go get it," I whispered. She groaned, and got off the couch.

BPOV

I didn't want to leave Edward, but it was probably my dad. Most likely, I would get lectured about being out so late.

"Hello?" I said dully.

"Bella, where are you?"

"At the Cullen's house, am I out too late? I'm sorry, I lost track of time," I looked briefly at Edward who had his eyes closed.

"I don't want you being a burden over there," he said sternly. There was the problem.

"Alice told me I wasn't, but I'll be home soon."

"Do you need me to give you a ride?"

"No dad, they said that they would drive me back," I tried to sound convincing.

"Oh, okay. Just let me know if you need anything, see you soon."

"Yep, bye dad," I said as I ended the call. Edward was now looking at me, a slight smile on his face.

I snuggled back into him, and he put his arms around me. His lips reached mine, and we had a fairly long kissing session.

"You have to go?" he whispered.

"Yes." My voice matched the volume of his.

"That's a shame," he said.

"Is it bad if I agree with you?" I asked him playfully.

"No. I enjoy it when people agree with me, it gives me a sense of domination." I laughed, and we kissed some more.

"I'll give you a ride back. We should probably go now." He started to get up, but I pushed him back down.

"No. Charlie might see your car, and then you'll get into trouble," I said softly. He nodded.

"I'll have Alice give you a ride then. Chief Swan probably shouldn't come over here, in case he sees my Volvo."

"You're right, again. I should always consult you before making a decision," I sighed, then smiled. He grinned in response.

"Alice!" He yelled loudly. I heard her sprinting, and then knock on the door. "Come in." Edward said quietly.

"Hey Edward, what's up?" Alice didn't comment when she saw me in Edward's arms. I looked at her, and smiled.

"Can you drive Bella home?" She looked uncomfortable, and I didn't know why.

"I'm actually running a little late. Jasper's meeting me at a café in Port Angeles." Edward looked nervous.

"Carlisle and Esme are gone, aren't they?" Alice nodded. "And Rosalie is gone with Emmett?" A devilish smile appeared on Alice's face, and she nodded.

"Well Bella, I guess you're staying overnight with us. Well, more with Edward than anyone else, but still." I blushed furiously.

"Alice, can you please talk to my dad. He probably won't believe that I'm invited."

"Of course Bella, where's your phone?" I pointed to my backpack. Alice was so nice.

"Lower pocket," I said, in case she needed more guidance. She found it, and started sifting through my contacts list.

APOV

I finally found Chief Swan's phone number, and immediately called him. It was good that they were being so careful. If Chief Swan did find out, then they would have to end their relationship, no question about that.

"Hello Chief Swan, this is Alice Cullen," I said in a polite respectful voice.

"Hello Alice, I hope Bella hasn't been a burden." I laughed.

"Of course not, I really enjoy having someone around besides my siblings. It's just nice having a good friend over." I heard Chief Swan exhale in relief.

"I'm afraid that none of us can drive Bella back to her house, but would it be okay if she could have a sleepover with me." He deliberated for a moment.

"That would be fine, but she has to get to school on time," he said.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm usually on time," I said sincerely.

"You're sure that you don't want me to come pick her up?"

"No, it's not a problem at all. Thank you for letting her stay over sir," I said in a sincere voice.

"Your welcome, and thank you for letting her stay at your house for the night. Good bye."

"Bye." I hung up, and grinned at both of them.

"Now, that," I said confidently. "Was a job well done. Admit it Edward, that was almost as good as your brilliant excuses."

"Yes, I hate to admit it." Edward rarely complemented people, and I considered what he had just said a compliment. I grinned.

"Well, have fun in bed you two," I added before skipping out the door.

EPOV

"Well, have fun in bed you two," Alice said before leaving. Bella blushed, and turned around so that her head was in my chest.

"Never gives up, does she?" she muttered.

"Never. What do you want to do?" I asked.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" She said right back.

"Movie?" What else was I supposed to say. It was too late to go anywhere, and we couldn't risk going to a local restaurant. Everybody knew me because of my reputation, and everyone knew Bella because she was new here. The fact that she was Chief Swan's daughter didn't help.

"Sure, what do you want to watch?"

"What do you like?"

"Let's watch Pride and Prejudice." Oh no. It was that awful book by Jane Austen. I had read the first page, and concluded that it was boring. But if she wanted to watch it, then we would.

"Okay, it's Alice and Rosalie's favorite movie. Let's go down to the basement, the nicest television is down there."

**BPOV**

When we got downstairs, I gasped, and stared. The television was huge, a gigantic plasma television. Edward turned it on, and the image was wonderful. It was the most beautiful television that I had ever seen.

"You like it?" He asked, while chuckling.

"Where did you get it?" I asked him incredulously.

"Best Buy, we ordered it online. So far it works wonderfully. It came here about a month ago, Emmett was ecstatic." I could see why Emmett was happy. Edward took out the movie, and put it in the DVD player.

When it came on, I looked at it in a new way. My boring old television was nothing compared to this. I could only guess how much this was worth, at least 5000 dollars.

We watched in silence, and by the end of the movie, Edward was kissing me. I kissed him back, and was in heaven. Then I remembered something.

"Edward, your whole family is gone, and it's just me and you, right?"

"Yes, and…" He didn't understand what I was getting at.

"You said that you only played piano when you were by yourself. And you told me that you would play for me." He looked uncomfortable.

Taking my hand, he said, "Let's get this painful task over with."

"It's only painful to you, Mr. Cullen." I grinned.

We got to his piano, and his fingers played beautifully, but then he stopped.

"I made a mistake," he groaned. I giggled.

"I didn't hear it, just keep going."

I didn't know how long he had been playing, but it had been at forty-five minutes. Then his fingers stopped. It had been so much better seeing him play, than in the car. His fingers flowed with ease, and he forgot about his surroundings. It made me think of the younger innocent Edward that he had been in middle school.

"That was beautiful, where did you learn how to play like that?"

"I quit piano lessons right after I learned how to read music. Aside from that, I've taught myself how to play," he shrugged. I stared at him the way I had looked at the television.

"You say this like it's no big deal." He shrugged again.

"That's because it isn't. I'm sure that you could teach yourself too, it's not that complicated."

"Believe me Edward, I couldn't teach myself to play as well as you do." How could I learn to play like that? Edward was extremely good at math, and that was probably why he was good at composing his own music. I on the other hand was not too brilliant at it.

"I think I would prefer to listen to you," I said.

"I'll teach you then, if you won't teach yourself," he whispered into my ear. Ever so gently, he took my hands in his, and made them glide over the ivory. As his fingers guided mine, I felt myself relaxing, and listened to my effortless playing.

"See, you can play if you set your mind to it," he said, still whispering.

"No, only if Edward Cullen is doing all of the work," I teased. A crooked smile flashed across his face, and he kissed me softly. I didn't care that I hadn't done any homework. As long as Edward Cullen was my boyfriend, I was happy. Of course, I wouldn't fall behind in school, and I would try to stop pressuring myself.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**EPOV**

The rest of the night was peaceful, and I was relaxed. Bella went to sleep in the guest room closest to mine, and I went to bed. Maybe I should go to school tomorrow, I hadn't seen Patrick in a while.

I saw sunlight streaming through my window, and I looked swiftly at the clock. It was ten o'clock, and if I hurried, I could make it on time for the test in math. Once I was ready, I sped down the highway, and neatly parked in a space.

The test in math went by easily, and I was the first one to finish. The teacher looked at me doubtfully, and started grading it. It was funny watching her face grow more incredulous as she continued.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, you aced it. Congratulations. I'm very impressed with your grade, keep up the good work," she said.

"Thank you, may I go now? Are we doing anything besides the test?" The class ended in about twenty minutes, and I didn't want to sit around doing nothing. She frowned.

"Why can't you stay?"

"I don't know. A bit of fresh air always does me some good," I said. I flashed her a smile, and I saw her start fidgeting with her papers.

"Well, you may go. I'll excuse you, good job."

"Thank you, Ms. Price. I really appreciate it." She looked a little stunned, and waved me away.

Even with an awful reputation, I could still charm the female teachers. Flawless. It was a shame that I only had one female teacher. It didn't really matter, I never attended class anyway.

Lunch was right after math, so I went to go find Patrick.

"Hey Edward," he said.

"Hi," I said back. For some reason, I felt like telling him about Bella, but I pushed that thought away.

"Haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?" He asked curiously. I tried to put on a confident voice.

"The usual, just hanging, girls," I finished smoothly. That was a job well done. He didn't look convinced.

"Really?" I nodded.

"How's Bella?" He asked quietly.

"How the fuck should I know?" I tried to say in a normal voice.

"I think you do know. I was driving by your house, and I saw her take your hand while you were going up your drive way," he finished. I froze.

"What?" I asked in a menacing voice.

"I think that you know how Bella is doing, you just won't tell me the truth," he whispered. We couldn't talk about this here.

"Maybe we should go outside," I suggested. He nodded, and followed me out. Once we were partially in the woods, he leaned against a tree, and folded his arms.

"So, tell me how your new girlfriend is," he smirked. I glared.

"You can't tell anyone," I said darkly. "If you do, I will seriously," I was immediately cut off.

"Relax. I'm not telling anyone. I'm just wondering why you're with her." He seemed sincere. Patrick had always been my closest friend, so it was time to confess.

"Yes, she is my girlfriend. I don't really want to talk about it." I hoped that he would give up.

"Okay, I just needed a confirmation," he said. "I should warn you..."

"On?" I asked skeptically. I looked around me, and scanned the forest for any eavesdroppers.

"No ones listening," he reassured me. "But I think David likes her, physically at least. Don't ask me why, I just have a feeling that he does. And you know how David is, he doesn't kiss, and wait."

"You're right," I said. It was nice to have someone besides my family know, and I trusted him.

"Just keep an eye on him, and make sure he isn't near Bella. He might, I don't know, do something to her." I quickly lit a cigarette since I saw David, Brad, and Luke walking, probably looking for us.

"Hey, where've you been man?" David asked.

"Gone," I said. He grinned at my comment.

"Want to go clubbing?" He asked us all.

"Sure," I said. "Where do you want to go?" The idea of going clubbing didn't seem too appealing.

"Seattle again?" He asked.

"Maybe," I told him.

"I know what I really want to do though," he was grinning evilly. "I want to make out with Isabella. Anyone have ideas on how to get to her?" He asked. I suppressed the urge to punch him, and break his jaw. Instead I smirked, and played along.

"No idea, make out with her right in front of Chief Swan," I forced myself to snicker.

"Not a brilliant idea, but at least you tried," Luke said.

"I'm not kidding though. She might not flaunt her curves, but she's hot," David said. They cackled, and I stayed quiet. David noticed my silence.

"What's wrong with you man?" I smirked.

"Just thinking of ways that you can get to her. I won't say that she's hot, but she's not ugly," I said in a devilish tone. He snickered.

What I was actually thinking was the complete opposite. How could I get her to avoid David? Patrick was right, I needed to protect her.

"Thinking of anything good?" He asked.

"No," I said. "She's Chief Swan's daughter, have fun figuring it out though."

"So Edward, where are we going this weekend?" Brad asked. Why did they always have to ask me?

"Vandalize the parking lot?" I suggested.

"Done it too many times," Patrick said. I took in a long deep breath of my cigarette, then exhaled.

"True. David?" He was the wrong person to ask.

"I want to make out with Isabella, that's it." I felt the rage burning in my throat, but I inhaled my cigarette again, partially calming myself.

"You all right Edward? You look like you're on crack or something," Brad said.

"The very thought of Isabella makes me want to commit suicide," I said in a bitter tone. They laughed, and stayed quiet.

"We should probably go," Brad said.

"I'll probably stick around here for a little longer. I don't want to go home," I told them. Brad and Luke walked off.

"Seriously, how do I get to Isabella?" He asked, looking mostly at me. They always relied on me for excuses, and schemes.

"Don't know, go up and kiss her. You might be lucky and charm her into kissing you," I said sarcastically. He wasn't pleased with my tone.

"Or else I could force her," he muttered. I gritted my teeth, and wanted to kill him. David was clearly going to be a problem.

"There's always that too," I said flatly. He grinned. There was no point on trying to convince him out of it, it would blow my cover.

"She just needs to be in the right place, at the right time," he said wickedly. I inhaled my cigarette, trying to relax.

"See you around," he said before walking away.

Once David was gone, Patrick looked at me grimly. This was going to be more complicated.

"That essentially confirms my fears. I have to ask you though. Do you really think it's worth it?" He asked quietly.

"What is worth it?"

"The relationship," he said a little more clearly. I looked at him, and glared.

"Are you telling me that I'm bad for her? It will work, no one has found out yet," I hissed. He stayed calm.

"No, I'm not saying you're bad, and I'm not saying that she's bad for you. I'm just asking you if it's worth all the trouble."

"So you're saying she's not worth it," I concluded.

"No, you're misunderstanding me. Is the relationship worth it? I think she's nice, I would like to meet her sometime," he said in a relaxed voice.

"Yes, it's worth it," I said quietly.

"Have you thought about the trouble? What about Chief Swan? Why don't you tell me what the problems are, and I'll tell you what I think." That seemed fair enough.

"Basically Chief Swan, that's about it," I mumbled. He stared at me incredulously.

"That's all you're worrying about? You showed up for a math test today, are you wanting to do better in school?" Yes, I did want to do better.

"Go on then, what are the problems?" I said acidly. He didn't glare when I was rude, but just kept that same serene look on his face.

"You're right about Chief Swan, that is a huge problem. But have you considered the others. You now want to do better in school. That doesn't help anything, it will jut create more stress. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, it just complicates things. Now you have David as another problem. You know you're going to have to watch him like a hawk."

"I can handle that," I said under my breath.

"But there are others. If one person sees you in Forks with her, then rumors will start flying around. And people gossip, and it will be all over town in two days. Don't bother denying it. Plus, you smoke, that will affect the relationship itself. She's bound to get angry, you know that. And I also understand that you can't stop, you've been doing this for too long," he finished.

"I doubt anyone would see me, and she doesn't care if I smoke." But Patrick was right, what he said was completely true.

"But remember, I saw you take her hand while you were driving up, and I was just passing by, not going to see you on purpose. And there are sometimes cars that pass right by your driveway." I opened my mouth then closed it.

"But I won't make that mistake again," I tried to say in a calm voice.

"It wasn't a mistake before, Edward," he said.

"I won't let it happen again," I said.

"But just her being in your car would trigger rumors. And what if Chief Swan found out? Do you really want to risk two or three years in prison? How would your relationship progress?"

"He has nothing to accuse me with?" Patrick gave me a look.

"He would make up some bullshit about you harassing her into dating you. He'll find a way, he's police chief."

"But…" I just trailed off, knowing that he was right.

"And what about David?"

"I'll just protect her now, I guess. Even if I broke up with her, I would still protect her," I said. If Patrick didn't believe that, then he was insane.

"I know, but that would only be one problem. All of the others would go away if you broke up with her," he said grimly.

"What should I do?" I whispered.

"What do you want to do?" He asked in a detached voice.

"I love her, and she loves me," I said quietly.

"That may be, but is that a good enough reason?" I glared at him after he said that.

"Why wouldn't it be? I'll just continue for now, but I'll think about what you said. It makes sense, I'll do what's best," I said.

"You don't have to make a decision now, but just think about it. Bye Edward." He left me by myself to think. I didn't know what to do. Should I break up with Bella?

I stayed for the rest of the school day, but I skipped biology. After school was over, I got in my car, and drove towards my house. Once we were on the road, Bella was following me, and she smiled. I kept a blank face, and sped up. The look of hurt and shock on her face was awful. I kept accelerating. There was no way I could face her, so I sped away and parked in the garage.

I got in the house, and Alice saw the shaken look on my face. "Hey Edward, what's wrong?" She asked, concerned.

"Please Alice," I gasped. "Please don't bother me, I can't deal with it right now." She looked taken aback, but asked the one question that I didn't want to hear.

"Where's Bella? I thought that she might come home with you," Alice said in a slightly shocked voice.

"Gone, maybe never coming back," I said. Crying was not a big habit of mine, but tears might come. No, I was stronger than that. Moping and sulking was a better option. Had I just ended a relationship with my girlfriend by blowing her off? Alice gasped.

"You broke up with her?" She asked, shock completely evident in her voice now. I then told her everything that had happened with David, what Patrick had said, and how I had blown Bella off while driving. Alice didn't interrupt once to criticize me like I thought she would.

"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry," she whispered once I was finished. She gave me a hug, and I let her.

"Did I just end my relationship with Bella?" I asked with no emotion in my voice. Alice let go of me.

"Who knows? And I'm sorry to say this, but Patrick is partially right, it's not going to be easy. And I understand why you couldn't face her. If I was in the same situation, I might not have been able to face Jasper," she whispered.

"I'm not capable of relationships, am I?" Alice smiled in response.

"Days ago I would have believed that, but you can. Just talk to her when you're ready. I'm sorry, again."

"I know," I whispered. "I am too."

I didn't believe that this was the end, there just had to be a way for it to work. I or we would have to be more careful.

**This chapter was Edward seeing the problems, and he loves Bella, a lot. He's just concerned about the future. Don't be mad at Patrick either, Edward would have eventually seen the problems for by himself. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. As always, please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

BPOV

I had seen Edward a couple of times during the school day, and resisted the urge to wave and smile. He had seemed oblivious, and I didn't even know if he had actually seen me. I pulled out of the parking lot, and saw his car. Following him, I decided that I could go to his house.

When I looked at him, and smiled in the mirror, I could see no emotion on his face. He sped up, and completely ignored me. I start speeding up, but he gave me another long blank look, and was speeding a little faster than usual.

I stared at him and soon he was out of my sight. What had just happened? Why had he ignored me? I parked on the side of the road to think.

Edward and I had been in a relationship for about a day. Surely he wouldn't end things now. Was he so repulsed by me, that he wanted to find another girl? No, I had seen that he loved me. But what I just saw had proved the opposite. Had I officially been dumped? Only time would tell. He would at least call to clarify things, and tell me what had happened.

I heard a door slam behind me, and I jumped in my seat. Emmett came out of a huge jeep that looked expensive. When he saw me, he grinned, and I rolled down my window.

"Hey Bella, headed to our house?" He asked cheerfully.

"Um no, headed to the grocery store," I lied pathetically. He snickered.

"Uh huh, more like you're coming to our house to go see Edward," he said, still grinning.

"Um, I guess so, but I really should get…" He didn't let me finish.

"If you don't get into your car, and follow me, then I'll get you to the house one way or another," he threatened. I had no choice but to follow him. When we got to his house, he went into the garage, and I stayed in the driveway.

Emmett opened the garage door, and we went inside. He chatted till we got into the kitchen.

"Want something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine. Where's Rosalie?" I asked suddenly.

"Don't know," he said. "Rose!" He hollered. I heard Rosalie coming down the stairs, and she greeted me.

"Hey Bella, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Could I talk to you in private Rosalie?" She looked at me curiously, and nodded.

"I'll be in our room, Emmett," she said. He waved at us. Once we got into her room, she shut the door, and locked it.

"So what do you want to talk about? You and Edward?"

"Um, no. I just need to get out of here as soon as possible. Emmett saw me parked along the road, and forced me to follow him, but I really need to go before anyone else sees me." She looked at me strangely.

"Don't you want to see Edward?" She asked.

"Not Edward, especially not Edward," I said in a desperate voice.

"Okay, I'll lead you to the back door, and then you can probably get into the driveway unnoticed. But you have to hurry." We flew down the stairs, but Emmett paid no attention to us as we went outside.

"Bye Bella, what's going on exactly?"

"Nothing, I just need to leave. Please make sure that Edward doesn't know that I was here. Thank you so much Rosalie, I really appreciate it."

"Sure Bella, I'll make sure he doesn't find out. Don't worry," she reassured me. I waved good bye, and it started to rain. Rosalie ran inside, and I fumbled with my key. It fell in a puddle, and as I was going to get it, my feet got wet. Shit.

When I had successfully opened my car, I kicked off my shoes, and took my socks off while starting the car. Once the car was on, I turned down the driveway, and sped away.

Tears were coming, I could feel it. But Edward would call, and tell me why he had ignored me. It just couldn't be the end.

When I got to my house, I walked in and saw a note on the kitchen counter for me from my dad.

Bella,

I'm out fishing with Billy Black, you might remember him. I won't be home for dinner, and I don't think tonight either. Sorry, but see you in the morning.

Love,

Dad

So I was basically stuck by myself for the rest of the night. I looked at the note again, crumpled it up, and threw it across the room. Accompanying this little episode that I was having was a scream. I kept sobbing. Yes, Edward Cullen had dumped me, no question about it. Fine, that was just fine. It was better to be separated from him anyway. My dad wouldn't approve, and he smoked.

That stupid story that he told me was probably made up. I couldn't believe that I had fallen for an imbecile. But deep down, I still loved him, and I knew that he hadn't made it up.

Maybe it was all a misunderstanding. I grabbed my cell phone out of my backpack, and put it in front of me on the kitchen table. He would call, I just had to be patient, and wait.

I started my homework, catching up on everything. As each minute went by, I stared at the phone, and felt hopeless.

"He's never going to call," I said to the kitchen.

After finishing all of my homework, I went to bed, and had trouble falling asleep, but when I did, I had a nightmare.

I was walking by myself in Port Angeles, and I saw a figure following me. My pace got faster, but when I saw the person, I felt happy. It was Edward, but he was smirking, not playfully, but menacingly.

"Edward?" I asked hesitantly. He grinned evilly.

"Hello Bella, funny seeing you here," he said, still grinning.

"Edward, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked in a scared tone. He brought a cigarette to his lips, and he exhaled in my face that was an inch away from his. I coughed, and all he did was laugh.

I backed away from him, but he followed me. I tried to run, but he caught my wrist.

"Leaving so soon?" He asked. He raised his hand, and curled it into a fist.

"Let go," I whispered. It was the same tone that I had used when he had almost hit me in his room.

"I hit girls, did you know that?"

"No, you told me you didn't. Are you on drugs?" He smirked.

"Of course not Isabella, I'm just smoking, no weed involved. I'm doing this because I want to," he said calmly.

"What do you want to do?"

"This," was all he said.

Edward raised his fist, and right before it was about to collide with my jaw, I woke up. Beads of sweat rolled down my face, and I was gasping. I turned on the light, and sure enough, I was in my room, and Edward wasn't with me.

"It was just a nightmare," I whispered to myself. Why did Edward have to be a bad boy? I could tell Charlie, and he would reassure me. But I couldn't, because I wouldn't even be in this position if Edward was proper.

I did some deep breathing, and relaxed. Pretty soon, I fell into a numb dreamless sleep.

EPOV

It was eight o'clock. Alice was sitting on my bed, while watching me pace back and forth in my room.

"Edward," Alice sighed. I turned around to glare at her.

"What?" I hissed.

"Don't get mad at me. But you call her or you don't. Standing, and pacing isn't going to do you any good, so decide." I flipped open my phone, then closed it.

"That's the problem, I don't know what to do. I'm not trying to dump her, but I want to call her to clarify things. And I'm not sure if I'm even ready to talk to her," I said glumly.

"Look Edward, you're clearly not ready, so talk to her tomorrow. Don't waste your time," she said, now exasperated.

"But now she'll think that I've broken up with her."

"Then call her. I don't care, just don't pace, you're making me dizzy," she said in an annoyed tone.

"Then leave if it's so painful for you. I didn't ask you to come in here, you wanted to," I said angrily.

"True, but just do something. Are you calling her?"

"No," I said. She looked shocked.

"Why not?"

"Just like you said, I'm not ready. I don't want to say something stupid to her, and regret it later," I said icily.

"But Edward…" She trailed off.

"No, I'll talk to her tomorrow, just leave me alone," I mumbled. She left, and I laid down in my bed. Moist drops were on my pillow. I touched my eyes, and felt moisture. No, I wasn't weak.

I heard a soft knock at my door. If it was Alice again, I was going to hit something.

"Come in," I sighed. It was Rosalie, which surprised me.

"Hey Rosalie, something wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"No, but you've been up here a while. Where were you at dinner?"

"Right here, I've had a bit of a stressful day. Don't ask, Alice knows, and that's plenty," I said defensively. She laughed softly.

"You told Alice?"

"Yes, and I regret it entirely," I muttered.

"She's just trying to help, even though it may not seem like it," Rosalie said in a relaxed voice.

"Great, thanks. I'm going to bed at ten," I said. She knew that this was a dismissal.

2 hours later…

I slowly got ready for bed, focusing on each task. Why had I driven off without talking to Bella? Alice may have thought that I was now capable of relationships, but I knew that I wasn't, today had proved it.

Before I turned off the light, I quickly glanced at my phone on the night table. I would definitely call her tomorrow.

It was strange, I was at the back of Forks high school, reading a book. Four figures were coming my way, and I smirked at them.

"Coming to beat me up again, are you?" They snickered.

"No, we can't do that, you've changed too much," the tallest figure said. "You're probably even stronger than all of us. But we've come to show you something." I waited, ready to attack if I had to.

"And what do you want to show me?" I hissed. They glared in response. Then another figure who was shorter than me came into view. David was smirking, and looking proud of himself.

"This," David said. I saw him holding Bella, who was unconscious. I gasped, and started speaking in a menacing voice.

"Give her back. What did you do to her?" My fear was rising by the second. Bella had to be okay, she just had to.

"Beat her up a little, nothing too bad. She became unconscious on her own," David said in a carefree voice.

"You better give her back now David, or I'll kill you, and it's not just a threat," I said darkly.

"You want to spend the rest of your life in jail? You care more about her? Think about your options Edward. If you just left her here, then all of your problems would go away. We would take care of her. You wouldn't have to kill me, and would never be in a jail cell," he told me. I glared.

"I don't care about any of that, she's mine," I said menacingly.

"Yes, she is. I agree with you, but you could make her mine, and I would free you of your problems. Just think about it. You know that you don't want to go to jail. The feeling of not going to jail is stronger than your love for her. Don't be foolish, and let me dispose of her. She'll be gone, along with your problems."

"No."

"Come on Edward, you know that you don't want her anymore. Stop denying it to yourself. From the beginning it was all a big mistake. Now you can fix it with one simple word, the word yes."

"My problems will get worse. I'll be guilty for the rest of my life, and I'll miss her." He smiled evilly.

"Fine, do what you want." He still didn't give her back.

"Give her to me," I said angrily.

"No, I think I'll keep her."

"No," I shouted.

I woke up in my bed gasping. A soft knock came at the door.

"Come in," I said weakly. Esme opened the door, and tiptoed to the side of my bed.

"Edward, I heard you shout, are you okay?" She asked tenderly.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I'm just confused. My subconscious is telling me things." I didn't care that I sounded foolish, it didn't matter anymore. I was going to call Bella, and explain things. We were going to be back together for now. I would decide later what to do.

"Can I help somehow?" I shook my head.

"No, this is something that I have to figure out for myself. But thank you," I said quietly.

"Alright, let me know if you need help." She was out the door, but paused to say something before she left. "Oh, and Edward, I'm happy for you and Bella."

"Me too," I whispered.

"Good night Edward, sleep well," she said before leaving. I fell back into a dreamless sleep.

It was six o'clock when I woke up, and I would have to go to school today to see Bella. Once I was ready, I was out the door, and speeding.

I jumped out of my car and spotted Bella walking into the woods by herself. Why was she doing that? David might find her. I sprinted up to her side, and touched her arm.

"Let's go deeper into the woods," I suggested. She looked at me and said nothing, but still followed.

I leaned against a tree, and she sat down on a stump. How could I begin?

"Bella, about yesterday, I'm sorry." She just looked down, so I continued. "My friend Patrick came and talked to me about our relationship, and he said," I was cut off. Her tone surprised me.

"So you're going to blame your friends about something that was intentional. I don't want to hear crap about you trying to be innocent. You don't love me. Just say it, stop being so vague," she hissed.

"What the hell? You think that I don't love you? Are you serious?" I said, stunned.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think. All you care about is your own feelings. You're selfish, and just used me to quench your boredom. Once kissing me was no longer interesting, you moved on. I don't want to hear your apologies." Her voice was acid.

And she walked away from my sight towards the school. She couldn't think what I had just said. But now she was out in the open with people watching, I couldn't risk it.

2 weeks later…

I hadn't said one word to Bella since the day that she walked off without a farewell glance. My family noticed my depression, but said nothing. Now I went clubbing with my friends more frequently, and I found comfort in drugs.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**EPOV**

I was channel surfing till I found a pointless basketball game. For the past two weeks, I had been avoiding anything that reminded me of Bella. If this were a different situation, then I would play my piano, but it was still too painful. Perhaps I would eventually move on, and forget about her. If she told my secret, then too bad, I didn't care.

A soft knock came at my door. Why didn't my family just come in? I was too numb to care.

"Whatever, come in," I said in a dead voice. It was Alice. Usually when she came in, I would have yelled, or told her to go away. She stared at me.

"Edward? Are you okay?" She asked me quietly.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just seem depressed, and I'm worried for you," she said sadly.

"Why would you be worried about me?" I asked her, irritated.

"You're not feeling suicidal, are you?" She whispered, staring at me with wide eyes. What she just said got a reaction out of me.

"Suicidal? You think I'm stupid or something? I'm not going to end my life because of some random girl. Thanks, but no thanks." After my little rant, I went back into the same numb state.

"Edward, just come down for dinner," she begged.

"No."

"Why?"

"Bella sat at the same table, I can't be anywhere near where she was," I said lamely.

"Bella was in your room, how come you're here now?" She rolled her eyes.

"Cause I have no where else to go," I said, feeling detached.

"Yes, go to school," she suggested.

"School? I would probably see Bella there, which would make it worse. Do you want me to commit suicide?"

"No, but I want you to stop wallowing, and get out of the house," she said in a demanding voice.

"I go out every night, I'm meeting Brad in about two hours, I don't know where we're going."

"I don't mean that type of going out, I meant doing something productive. All you seem to do these days is smoke pot, and go clubbing. With Bella, you actually did smart things," she said in a hard voice.

"Great, I'm glad you approve of her. But now she's gone, and I'm not doing anything. So if you had any hope for the future, you were wrong. I'm not changing now."

Alice looked at me sadly, but I didn't react. My family seemed worried for me. Why did they care if I smoked, it wasn't their problem. Frankly, it didn't seem like a problem to me. I felt comfort, and that was the point.

"Maybe you're not suicidal now, but you're slowly killing yourself. Smoking will do that, and I don't want you to die early," she said.

"Why the hell would anyone care?" I said in a rude tone.

"Because you're my brother, and when you were with Bella, I missed the real you, she was slowly helping you get better. Now you're back to your bad boy self, maybe even worse than before. That's what bothers me, and I love you," she whispered.

"Great, I'm glad you love me. Go to Jasper, he probably has more interesting things to talk about. You're wasting your time here," I said in the same rude voice.

"Good bye Edward, take care of yourself," she said before closing the door. I laid down, and tried to sleep. Calling Bella wasn't an option. I didn't want to hear her beautiful voice, it might actually drive me to suicide hearing her reject me. Why did my family care? It's not like I was present during dinner before Bella came.

The real question was, why was I upset about this? The relationship had only lasted a day, no more than that. Why cry over something so short? But I still loved her, that's why.

**BPOV**

I put on a happy mask for Charlie when I saw him, but once I was in my room, I burst into tears. I hated Edward, yet loved him at the same time. But it was good that he had ended it early. He hadn't called in two weeks, and now I always did things to keep my mind off of him, but there was only so much I could do.

School was boring, and biology was painful. I always looked at the empty seat beside me. Edward must be failing biology if he was absent so much. Maybe today would bring something new.

**EPOV**

Something was smacking in the head. What the hell? But then I smiled to myself, I didn't care anymore, whatever it was could hurt me, it didn't matter.

"Edward, you idiot, wake up." I opened my eyes and saw Alice's face. She looked at me, satisfied.

"Why are you waking me up? Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"For your information, it's six o'clock, and I woke up early to get you up, so get up." I glared at her.

"I'm not going," I said flatly. She glared at me.

"Do I have to get Emmett to come help me? He'll be more than glad to get you to school. And no matter how strong you are, Emmett will always be stronger than you." I groaned.

"Shut up, and go away. I'm going to see Bella, and then I'll come right back home because of her. Why waste gas?"

"We won't be wasting any because we're car pooling in your Volvo."

"You are not using my Volvo to go to school," I said icily.

"Wanna bet?" She challenged.

"No, betting is stupid. Why can't you just use Rosalie's convertible?" I asked her, exasperated.

"Fine, but you're still coming, whether you like it or not." I sat up so quickly that Alice fell off the bed.

"I'm not going, dammit. Seeing Bella will be painful, and I don't want to see her." Alice stared at me.

"Why don't you try talking to her," she suggested quietly.

"Because she hates me, that's why," I raised my voice. Alice shook her head in dismay.

"She doesn't hate you," she stated. I glared menacingly at her, and her eyes widened.

"You haven't been talking to her, have you?" I asked darkly.

"No, in fact I haven't said a word to her for two weeks. Once you broke up with her, she stopped speaking to us," Alice said.

"Fucking hell, I did not break up with Bella. She wouldn't listen when I tried to explain what had happened."

"Yes, but it's your fault for not trying to go after her while she was walking away," Alice said matter of factly. She must be insane.

"I would have gone after her, but people were around. It all comes down to Chief Swan. If someone told him, then the relationship couldn't last, plus I might go to jail," I muttered.

"Have you been keeping an eye on her?" Alice asked, concerned for some reason.

"No, why would I?" She stared at me in disbelief.

"Did you forget about David?" She whispered.

"She's a big girl, she can take care of herself. And David probably didn't mean it. He's always tried to show off, so he probably was kidding," I said calmly.

"Edward, the way you described it made it seem like he was serious. And there's no doubt in my mind that he was."

"I don't care, find someone else to take care of her, I'm done," I mumbled. She shook her head.

"You told me that he would try to _force_ her, do you know what that essentially means?" She asked me seriously.

"What exactly?" Though I knew exactly what she meant.

"You're intelligent Edward, you should know. It means rape, he wants to rape her, Edward. You don't seem too worried. You're the only one who can protect her," her voice was now raised and she sounded like she was about to cry.

"Get Emmett to watch her, I'm too busy," I said in a bored tone. Alice gasped, and got a scared look on her face.

"You're going to let her die?" She squeaked.

"No, because nothing will happen to her. If you're so concerned, watch her yourself," I said in an irritated voice.

"Edward, David could kill me if I got into fight with him. Only Jasper, Emmett, or you could win against him," she insisted.

"Just leave me alone. I want to sleep, and you're preventing me. David is my friend, I would never hurt him," I said serenely.

"Are you on drugs Edward? I would never have expected you of all people to say that. What has happened to you?" She shrieked.

Of course I would kill David if he hurt Bella, no question about that. Alice was stupid if she didn't believe that. But should I even protect Bella? It wasn't my problem, not my fault. David would have seen Bella for himself, and then done whatever he wanted to do. It was true that I had talked about her, and maybe that had caused him to say those things. But was he really serious?

"No, I'm not on drugs," I said flatly.

"I don't know who you are anymore! David isn't your friend, he's a sick crazy teenager. You're an imbecile if you think that he wasn't serious." Her shrieking was breaking my ears.

"Shut up, already. I'm going to school with you." If this would get her out of my face, then I would go. One day of seeing Bella wouldn't kill me. That stopped her fit.

"Why?" She blinked.

"Didn't you just say that you were going to force me?" I asked her.

"Yes, but why do you want to go?"

"Maybe I'll talk to her, and I'll deal with David later," I muttered.

"Okay then, do you want to drive Edward?" I sighed.

"Spare me the trouble. Are we really taking my Volvo?" Alice grinned, and held up the keys with a devilish smile on her face.

"Yes." In a very quick motion, I snatched the dangling keys out of her hands.

"Apparently I am driving. How long have you been taking my car back and forth to school?"

"For two weeks," she said simply. I groaned, and started getting ready. Once I was done, I marched out of the house, and my siblings followed me.

"Finally joining us, Edward?" Emmett asked cheerfully.

"What does it look like?" I asked sarcastically. He sighed.

"It looks like the attitude is still present. Thanks little brother," he said. Just what I needed in the morning, my brother making fun of me.

"Can you shut up, Emmett?" I asked him, annoyed.

"No." I wanted to hit him.

I was tired of going at the speed limit, so I sped up. My siblings gasped at the speed, but said nothing. The awful car ride was finally over, and I parked in a space that was far away from Bella's truck. Alice sighed and shook her head at me.

I got out of the car, and I saw Bella. As soon as I set my eyes on her, she met my gaze. Alice poked me, and I did nothing.

"Go," she whispered, while shoving me.

"No, people will get suspicious," I hissed back at her.

"Whatever, she's still looking at you. Do you want to explain what happened to her?" I sighed.

"No, I mean yes, but…" I decided to text to Bella.

**Meet me in the forest at the same place**

"There you go Alice. I'm speaking to her now, will you leave me alone?" She squealed, and left. Rosalie gave me a look, and followed Alice.

Once my family was gone, I sprinted to the forest, and tried to calm myself. Why was I so nervous about seeing Bella? It was stupid and irrational. Fifteen minutes went by, and she never showed up. I brought a cigarette to my lips, and tried to wait patiently. I could hear footsteps coming, and I stared ahead. She finally emerged, and looked at me, saying nothing.

"Bella?" She came forward.

"You shouldn't be doing this," she whispered taking the cigarette out of my hand. "I'll go put it out." She disappeared, and came back two minutes later.

"Bella, can I please explain what happened?" I begged.

"I understand if you're breaking up formally with me. You said that your friend Patrick said something about our relationship, and it's okay if you don't want to be with me because of that. Don't do something you don't want to do."

I saw tears in her eyes, and it broke my heart. I gently put my finger under her chin, and tilted her head up.

"You are far too important than anything I own. My friends don't matter," I said softly.

"Then what happened?" She asked, still whispering.

"Patrick just pointed out the complications, and I had to think about them. At the time, I couldn't face you for some reason, so I drove off, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." She looked at me with her brown eyes, and I couldn't look away.

"That's why?"

"Yes, these past couple weeks have been unbearable for me. I was thinking of calling you, but I thought you were going to hang up on me, and then it would be too painful."

"You still love me?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes, how can I prove it?" I asked her.

**BPOV**

"Yes, how can I prove it?" Edward asked, his eyes burning deeply into mine. I didn't know what to say.

"Nothing." He wrapped his arms around me, I leaned my head against his chest.

"I would kiss you, but I won't."

"Why?"

"I just smoked, it wouldn't be too pleasant for you," he whispered. Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I jumped. Edward raised his head, and smiled.

"How exactly did you know I was here, Patrick?"

"Just wandering around, no one would be able to find you, don't worry." Patrick looked at me, and smiled. "And you're Bella, am I correct?"

"Um, yes." I didn't know what to say.

"You two are back together?" Patrick asked me and Edward.

"Yes," Edward responded. They shared a brief look, and Edward's eyes darted to my face, then he looked at Patrick again.

"You won't believe all of the crap that Edward's been up to since you guys weren't together." I stared at Edward with wide eyes.

"What did you do?" I squeaked.

"Nothing. Did you really have to bring that up Patrick?" He sighed.

"I want to know now," I tried to sound firm. Edward chuckled at my response.

"Later, what are you doing here exactly?" Edward asked Patrick.

"Have you told her yet? You know you have to, it's too dangerous for her not to know," Patrick said grimly. Edward nodded, but said nothing.

"Told me what?" I demanded.

"David," Edward said simply.

Wasn't David the creep who had stared at me in a funny way? What was Edward going to tell me? I had a very bad feeling.

"You have to tell her Edward," Patrick said. Edward looked nervous, but then started.

"Bella, do you know who David is?"

"Yes," I whispered. Edward looked taken aback.

"How?"

"He stared at me in a weird way, and he seemed strange." Edward cussed, and got a menacing look on his face.

"You should have told me Bella. I need to know this," Edward said darkly. What was he so anxious about?

"What's wrong?" He reached for his pack of cigarettes again, and I gently moved his hand away from them.

"David was talking about you, and not in a pleasant way." Edward swallowed before continuing. "He wants to, to get with you." The words sounded practically choked out of his mouth.

"You mean like dating?" Edward took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself.

"Close, but more physically. And…" Edward couldn't finish. I grasped what Edward was saying, and fear pulsed through me. David wanted to do something to me.

"What do I do?" I asked both Patrick, and Edward.

"You do nothing, leave it to me," Edward said fiercely.

"I don't want you getting hurt Edward. I love you," I whispered. Edward hugged me into his chest, and I tried to calm down.

"I won't get hurt, and neither will you. It will be okay." I looked around, and Patrick had left.

"Don't protect me," I said quietly. He looked at me.

"I will, always." He reached into the front pocket of my jeans, and pulled out my cell phone. He pushed buttons, and finally handed it back to me. "My cell phone number. If you're ever in trouble, call me. I'll protect you," he said softly.

"Does this mean that we're back together?" I asked him quietly.

"Yes," he said, as he kissed my forehead.

**Please review. **


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

I went home with the Cullens, and Alice was staring at me for some reason. The beauty of the house never failed to amaze me. Once we got inside, Alice towed me to her room.

"Bella, how was your day?" She asked in a friendly manner, but I could hear the devilish tone that she tried to hide.

"Good," I said warily. "Why?"

"Nothing. I'm throwing a party tonight, do you want to come?" She chirped.

"Yeah, sure. When is it? I have to get finish some homework, but then I'm free." To be truthful, I didn't have any work besides math, and Edward said that he would help me with it.

"Around six. You can just stay at our house till then."

"Okay, I need to go find Edward."

"Go ahead, whenever you're done with your math, call me, I need to show you something. Bye Bella." Before I could say another word, she skipped out of the room. Okay then.

I walked out of Alice's room, and I saw Edward coming up the stairs. He smiled when he saw me, and I smiled back at him.

"Math?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, I have a test Monday."

"Which problems?" I handed him the study sheet, and he quickly scanned the notes. He paused, and started explaining. Every word he said sunk in, and I understood everything.

"Thanks Edward," I sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm going to fail math," I said dully.

"Don't think that. You won't, you're extremely smart." His lips gently pressed against mine, and he started to kiss me. I eagerly kissed him back, and he smiled.

"I can't think anything when you do that," I told him playfully.

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" He whispered. He kissed me again, and scattered my thoughts.

"Both."

"Excellent," he said. I suddenly pulled away from him.

"Are you going to the party that Alice is throwing?" I asked him curiously.

"Um, I didn't even know that she was having a party. Probably not, though. I don't really like to attend her grand events, they're quite boring." He told me, sighing. "She usually warns me a couple of days in advance," he muttered.

"I agreed to go," I mumbled. "What am I going to do without you?"

"You'll have plenty to do. She usually invites at least 50 people." I groaned. "What's wrong Bella?"

"I hate crowds." He chuckled at the expression on my face.

"Good luck. Fifty is the minimum, we've sometimes had 70 people over. I'm sure you'll have fun without me, you need to get more friends besides us." He brushed his lips across my cheek.

"I don't know about that," I tried to say in a normal voice.

"You do. But I kind of like having you all to myself," he said softly. I smiled in response.

"That's good," I laughed. But then my laughter stopped, and I remembered David. Edward seemed to notice my rigid body, and got concerned.

"Bella, did I say something?" He asked me nervously.

"No, but what about David?" It was Edward's turn to freeze.

"Don't be worried. I won't let him get to you. Are you scared that he might be at the party? I can stay if you really want me to, but Alice never lets my friends in," he tried to reassure me.

"He's really trying to hurt me, isn't he?" I wondered.

"I hate to say yes, but he never will. Just stay by me, and you'll be fine," he murmured soothingly.

"I can do that," I said shakily.

"Do you want to tell your father about David?" Edward asked. I could see traces of sacrifice in his eyes, but he hid it well.

"No. If I did, then I wouldn't be able to be with you," I murmured.

"So you want me at the party?"

"No, go do something else. You need to spend time away from me. It's not healthy for you to be with the same person all the time." He laughed quietly.

"On the contrary, you stop me from acting like an idiot." I smiled.

"Whatever you say. You're not worried about David?"

"No," he said confidently.

"Okay, if that's what you really think," I yawned.

"Sleep Bella, forget about David, I'll take care of him," he murmured. I closed my eyes and was almost asleep, when Edward's door banged open. My eyes reluctantly opened to find Alice glaring at me.

"I thought I told you to come with me when Edward was done helping you with math, not some sleeping session." I sat upright so quickly, that Edward had to jump away before I hit him with my arm.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," I squeaked.

"Sorry about what? It's Alice who should be sorry, not you." He frowned at her. "What do you want anyway?"

"Bella said that she would come with me after you were done helping her. And look at her now, she's in your arms, about to fall asleep."

"I'm tired," I complained. "Why can't you wait till I wake up? Aren't I going to some party tonight? If I'm going to be in a room with people dancing together, then I need to rest."

"The music will make you energetic. Don't worry about that. And the reason why I'm here is to get you ready for the party. Sleeping is a waste of time. And you look awful, by the way," she finished rudely. I looked up at Edward, and saw him glaring at her.

"I'm fine Alice, and I'm ready. What more do you want me to do?" Alice grinned.

"Follow me into the bathroom," she said in an innocent voice.

"Alice, please. Spare me the trouble of another makeover. I know that you enjoy doing them, but it doesn't thrill me."

"Come on, Bella," Alice begged.

"No." Edward just stared at both of us, sighed, but said nothing.

"We need to give Edward here, a good dose of healthy competition. In my opinion, you forgave him a little too easily." I looked at Edward again, and his face was sad. Alice was so annoying.

"No, I didn't forgive him too fast, because there was nothing to forgive in the first place." Edward smiled at me, and stroked my hair.

"Okay, forget the competition part. But can you please let me get you ready for the party." I sighed.

"If I tell you yes, will you be quiet?" She squealed, and nodded.

"Yes, let's go." Before Edward could say anything, or I could react, Alice had dragged me off the couch, and out the door.

"Is this really necessary?" I asked, sighing.

"Yes, now I have to wash your hair?"

"Wash my hair?" I asked her blankly. "It's clean."

"Not enough for my taste. And I locked the bathroom door so that Edward can't come in."

"Why did you do that?" I asked, annoyed.

"To keep him out obviously. And it's bad for him to be around you all the time. He needs to get out and live the life."

"Sure," I agreed dully.

Alice continued to wash my hair, then put conditioner in it. Finally, she started blow drying it. I looked in the mirror and it looked beautiful.

"Thank you Alice, it looks wonderful." I started to get up, but she pushed me back down into the chair.

"I still have to style it. Do you want French braids? I think it would look nice on you," she said happily.

"Whatever. Are you going to be done after my hair?"

"That depends if I want to put make up on you." I glared at her.

"I'm fine. And I'll call Edward if you even try to put makeup on me," I said acidly.

"I locked the door." I sighed. Alice would get her way, I was almost certain about that.

"No. I don't need makeup, I think I'm fine the way I am. Thank you, but no." Alice grinned.

"Whose opinion matters the most here?" I didn't understand what she was getting at.

"Um, it's my face, shouldn't it be me who decides?"

"No, I don't think you look party appropriate. And you need your eyes to stand out a little more. You have nice eyes by the way."

"I'm glad you approve," I muttered.

"But, since you seem so reluctant, I'll leave you alone," she sighed.

"Thanks Alice," I said, deeply grateful.

"Bye Bella." I walked out, and returned to Edward's room. He was still in the same position, waiting for me.

"Hey," he said, raising an eyebrow. "How did it go?" I felt self conscious.

"What do you think?" I said nervously.

"Hmmm." He smiled. "I think you look beautiful, and I want to kiss you." I sat down on his lap, and his lips almost met mine, but I heard a smacking sound. Alice was glaring at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled.

"Kissing my girlfriend. Is there a problem with that?" He asked rudely. I was surprised by Alice's sudden outburst.

"Yes, there is. I just spent a very long time doing her hair, and I don't want you ruining it. Then I would have to start over," Alice whined. Edward started imitating Alice's voice, but did it in a very high pitched voice on purpose.

"Oh no, Bella! Your hair! What are we going to do if one single strand is out of place? I'm going to wash it so that I can work with it easily. Don't worry, we'll fix it quickly. If that asshole Edward ruins it, then I will kill him. The party's at six, we need to get it styled quickly." Edward was shaking with laughter. Alice just glared at him, and said nothing.

"Um, are you done fighting Alice?" Alice glared at me.

"Edward just started it. You're just taking his side because you like him more than me," she pouted.

"No Alice, I like you in different ways."

"Sure, but I still think that you like him better," I immediately cut her off with a question that I thought would keep her quiet.

"So what are you wearing to the party, Alice?" She brightened.

"Come on, I'll show you your outfit. I bought it especially for you, and it wasn't cheap, and you'll hurt my feelings if you don't wear it." Once again, we flew out the door.

Alice gave me my outfit, and once I saw it, I gasped. It consisted out a blue low cut halter top, and a denim miniskirt.

"Alice," I said, shocked. "This is way too skimpy. How could you pick this out for me? A better question is why?" She didn't answer, and practically forced me into it.

"It's simple, Edward's going to be attracted to you, and come to the party. He's never attended, so I'm sort of using you as bait," she finished calmly. I was revolted.

"I refuse to participate in this grand scheme of yours. If Edward doesn't want to come, then he doesn't have to." Alice pouted.

"I want him to come. It's ridiculous that he never comes," she complained. "Come on then, we're going to go show Edward." She grabbed my wrist, and ran into Edward's room. I had to run behind her in order not to fall.

Once we were both in Edward's room, Alice locked the door, and Edward looked up. He did a double take, and then cleared his throat.

"Um, you look, uh, nice?" He said, but it sounded more like a question. I blushed, and Alice patted my shoulder. I glared at her, and she smiled back innocently at me.

"Is that a complement?" Edward just stared at me.

"This outfit doesn't exactly fit on you. You should get something that…" I narrowed my eyes, and cut him off.

"You're saying that you would like something tighter on me?" Edward's eyes became shocked.

"No, I was going to say that you need something less revealing. Wear it if you want, but it doesn't fit your personality," he said in an offhand tone. How could I have thought that Edward was that sick?

"Edward, you're such an idiot," Alice said. "Why would you insult her like that?"

"I was not insulting her. I was giving her my opinion. And I think that it doesn't look right on her. Let her wear what she wants Alice," he sighed.

"Bella, this is much more party appropriate then what you had on before," Alice insisted. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I want to get back into my other clothes." I told her firmly.

"Well, I hid them, so I guess that you have to go in them to the party." Edward got up, and started rummaging around in his closet. He came back with a shirt, and pants in his hands.

"Here. Do you want to wear them?"

"Thanks," I murmured. Edward glared at Alice.

"Bella's getting changed, do you mind?" He asked sharply.

"If she's getting changed, then why aren't you coming out with me?" Alice retorted.

"Because I don't want him to. Can you give me my clothes back then?"

"No. You should stay in the clothes I gave you. Admit it Edward, you want her to wear it so that you can have fun making out with her. Tell me, have you been to second base yet, because I think," Edward immediately cut her off.

"Because I think that you should get the fuck out of my room, and leave Bella alone," Edward said calmly.

Alice glared but finally left. Edward had talked with such authority, and it impressed me. I looked down at the clothes that I was holding, and started to take the awful top that Alice had given me, off.

"Bella, do you want me to go away?" He asked me.

"No, just don't look."

EPOV

"No just don't look," she said in a soft voice. Would I ever get used to her beauty? Probably not.

I turned the other way while she changed. The top that Alice had given her looked ridiculous. It just didn't fit with Bella, and I would have been upset if she had worn it. Now, she was changing into my clothes.

"So?" She asked shyly. I laughed.

"They're a little loose, but they'll fit. Want me to go get your clothes?"

"Thanks. Can I stay in these till the party, then I'll change back into mine?" I smiled, and nodded.

I went to Alice's room without knocking, and quickly got them. Bella was sitting in the same position, and smiled as she saw me. I handed her the clothes. "Thanks," she said quietly.

"You're welcome." I pulled her to the couch, and she laid down next to me. We both closed our eyes, and I felt her relax beneath me.

BPOV

I woke up, and Edward's clock said 5:30. I reluctantly pulled myself out of Edward's arms.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi, yourself," I said back, smiling. He smiled back crookedly, and took my breath away.

"Almost time for the party?"

"Yep, and I'm not looking forward to one minute of it. How long do these things usually last?" He thought for a minute.

"Five to six hours. Why?" I groaned.

"How will I be able to handle that? It's Friday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you want to stay over?"

"Sure, I'll call Charlie later." This was going to be miserable. Hopefully I wouldn't run into anyone creepy like David.

"Bella," Alice yelled. I kissed Edward good bye, and went down the stairs.

EPOV

Once Bella had left, I got up, and called Luke, agreeing to meet at Forks High School. Apparently Brad, David, and I were doing something that I didn't know about yet.

"Hey Brad, what's up? Where's David?" It was surprising how calmly I could say his name.

"Right here," he said coming up behind me. I didn't jump, or flinch after he surprised me.

"What are we doing here?"

"Nothing, isn't your sister having a party tonight?" David wondered. I froze. This couldn't be good, Bella was there.

"I'm not sure," I lied. He snickered.

"You're away so much that you don't even know who's coming to your house?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I suddenly felt slightly nauseous.

"Edward, what would you say if I crashed Alice's party to go find Bella?"


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

I sped down the road, my foot pressing on the gas pedal, making me accelerate. If I went any faster, then I would crash. As soon as the words had escaped David's mouth, I had mumbled a quick good-bye, and ran to my car.

Bella was going to be okay. As long as I got there before David, then it would be fine. I slowed down slightly. If I got a ticket, then I would kill myself.

But thinking about David made me accelerate even faster than before; my attempts at slowing down had been in vain.

I suddenly felt very sick, dizzy even. My hands were shaking on the steering wheel. What was happening? The car was swerving, and I tried to focus. I could feel sweat running down my forehead. My stomach hurt, and I felt like puking.

I needed to get to Bella before David got there. The car stopped swerving once I had regained focus, and I kept going. But my hands were still shaking. No, I couldn't be sick when I had to get to the house.

The turn to my house was the most comforting thing that I had seen today. And David's car was no where I sight. I sighed in relief, then ran to the bushes and vomited.

I ran up the back door, and into my bathroom. This couldn't be happening. I had felt a little sick at the school where I had met my friends, but it hadn't felt that bad. I ran back into my room, and collapsed onto the floor.

I laid down on the floor, but the room was spinning. I tried to get up, but I fell back down, and everything went black.

BPOV

The party that Alice had thrown was impressive. The effects of the lights, and the music were amazing. I wasn't having a great time, and Mike Newton kept following me around like a dog.

I decided to go upstairs to Edward's room, thinking that it might make me feel closer to him. The door opened noiselessly, and I locked it behind me. Once it was securely closed, I turned the light switch on.

The sight that greeted me scared me to death. Edward was on the floor with his eyes closed. I ran up to him, and dropped down to my knees.

"Edward," I gasped. He didn't respond to me, and I was only partially relieved when I saw his chest rising and falling. "What did you do to yourself?" I whispered.

I put my hand on his forehead, and felt the heat. He had a fever, and a bad one. What did you do when you found someone who had fainted? I would have tried to get him up on his sofa, but I didn't have nearly enough strength to lift him up.

I went into the closet out in the hall, and found a washcloth. I quickly went to his bathroom, and wet the washcloth. After entering his room again, I closed the door behind me, locked it, and wiped the sweat off Edward's forehead.

Another 45 minutes went by, and Edward still hadn't regained consciousness. He had told me that he hadn't gotten drunk very often. What had he done?

I pushed his hair out of his face, and wiped his forehead again. Something moved, and I saw Edward's eyes open.

"Bella?" His voice was weak and raspy.

"Edward," I sobbed in relief. He pulled me down, and hugged me to his chest.

"How did you get here?"

"I came, and then I found you on the floor. What did you do? I thought you weren't going to do crap like that anymore." I said. "You scared me," I admitted in a whisper. He looked away from me.

"I didn't, and I'm not going to, for now anyway. I didn't have one sip of beer, or smoke," he said quietly.

"Then what happened?" I said at the same volume as him.

"David said something about coming to Alice's party, and finding you. I had felt nauseous before coming here, but it wasn't bad. Then, I sped over here, and I puked in the bushes, then…" He murmured, not finishing.

"You came over here to warn me, and then you fainted?" I asked. He nodded.

"Bella, get away from here," he murmured, trying to get up. Once he sat up, he collapsed back onto the carpet.

"Edward," I sobbed. His hand stroked my hair. He was about to say something, but then turned around, and puked on his carpet. I put my hands to my mouth.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened. This is disgusting." I stroked his cheek with my fingertips.

"No, let me try to help you to your bed, or couch." He shook his head.

"No, I need to clean it up," he said, while trying to get up. I pushed him back down.

"No, I'm cleaning up, just sleep or rest." Then he seemed to realize something.

"David, he's going to come, you have to get out," he said urgently in a weak voice. I refused to leave him.

"The door's locked, he can't get in. Besides, you're here for me. You won't let him hurt me." I wiped his pale forehead.

"I'm no use to you like this. And a door won't stop David. Does he know you're in here?"

"No, I haven't seen him, and I'm staying with you."

"Go. I can't protect you. It's not safe here. David will come, he'll probably beat me up too if he sees you with me. You need to leave," he choked out.

"I won't leave you," I said fiercely. "I'll protect you." He laughed, and then winced. "What's wrong?" I asked desperately.

"My throat hurts. If I say anything above a whisper it's painful," he said so quietly, that I had trouble hearing him.

"Can you call your father to come look at you?" My voice was now frantic.

"No, he and Esme went to an over night trip to Los Angeles."

"Let me drive you to the hospital then," I pleaded.

"No, I wouldn't be able to get up anyway, so it doesn't matter," he said calmly. "I'm only worried for your safety. Hand me my phone," he commanded.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Emmett. Alice is busy downstairs, and I want her to keep an eye on who comes in, and Jasper is too far away, and so is Rosalie." I got up, and handed him his phone. He speed dialed Emmett, and waited with a blank look on his face.

EPOV

"Hello?" Emmett's voice sounded loud over the phone, and I could hear music in the backround.

"It's Edward, where are you?"

"What?" he shouted. After a few seconds, the loud music was gone.

"Sorry Edward, what do you need?" He sounded concerned about the low volume of my voice.

"Can you come get Bella out of the house, David's planning on getting to her?" I heard an intake of breath.

"Edward, I'm in Port Angeles at a friend's party." He said quietly. I froze, and Bella looked up at me, concerned.

"I would bring her, but I'm not in the best condition to drive," I managed to choke out.

"I'm leaving right now, and I'll speed. Protect her for now. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm so sorry. I know how David is, just hold on."

"Bye Emmett," I said quietly.

"Bye." He almost sounded like he was about to cry. I snapped my phone shut, and glared at nothing in particular.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

"Nothing, Emmett is in Port Angeles, and he's coming here as soon as he can to get you. Don't worry Bella, everything will be okay. Just stay with me for now," I murmured. She snuggled into me.

"I'll stay with you." If she got hurt because of me, then I would kill myself, and I meant that literally.

"Good." I started coughing, and Bella didn't know what to do so she just held my hand.

"Edward, what can I do?" There was agony in her soft voice, and I wished that I could stop being sick.

"Nothing. I have a good immune system, I'll be okay by tomorrow. Don't worry."

"I'm not, if you say that you're going to, then I'm sure you'll be." I felt drops of moisture on my cheek. I looked up, and saw her tears. Slowly, I raised my finger, but then put it back down. She would get whatever I had with too much contact.

"Edward, I'm so sorry about David, it's my fault. You shouldn't have to protect me, especially when you're this sick," she sobbed.

"No. I have to." I paused, and suddenly felt the migraine. My head was throbbing, and I winced. Sweat was running down my forehead, and I got the same nauseous feeling again.

"Bella," I gasped. "Can you get me the trash can from my bathroom?" She nodded, and disappeared. Seconds later, she came back, and set it right next to the couch.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"Edward, can I do anything else?" I was about to say no, but then I puked again.

"I'm sorry," I murmured.

"I don't care." We both heard a soft knock at the door. Bella froze, and I got up with what little energy I had, and sat in front of her protectively.

"Edward, it's Alice." Alice said through the door. Bella sighed in relief, and I fell back on the couch.

"I'll let her in." I was about to say no, but she was already up. Bella unlocked the door, and Alice came in. Tears were streaming down Alice's face, and she gasped when she saw me.

"Edward," she said, shocked. "What did you do to yourself?" I sighed, and then coughed.

"Nothing. I haven't smoked or had one sip of alcohol. It's probably a stomach virus or something," I said grimly. "What's up anyway?"

BPOV

Edward didn't look any better. In fact, he looked worse than before. Alice looked shaken, and extremely upset about something.

"What's wrong Alice?" I whispered.

"He's here, I didn't know until I saw him walk by. He just keeps searching for someone, or something. What do I do?" She sobbed. Edward looked calm, but serious.

"Who exactly?"

"David," was all she said. My body tensed, and Edward's face hardened. I saw his hand shaking once he had lifted it up, but he put it back down.

"What do you want me to do Alice?" He asked with no emotion whatsoever in his voice.

"Nothing. You're too weak," she said quietly.

"No, I'm not." And just to prove it, he tried to stand up, but then fell onto the floor.

"Edward," I screamed. His eyes were closed, and I shook him. "Wake up," I sobbed. "Please. I love you." He opened one of his eyes to stare at me, and then he shivered.

"I didn't faint, I'm just tired." He got up on his knees, and crawled back up onto the couch.

"What do I do? I can't fight him," she whispered. Edward nodded, and thought.

"Emmett's coming soon, and he'll take both of your somewhere safe. In the mean time, just stay in my room with the door locked." Edward leaned over into the trash can, and puked again. Alice looked confused.

"Why am I leaving? I know Bella should, but why do I have to?" She wasn't complaining or anything, just looking at him.

"I would feel better if you were gone, David is very unpredictable. Just stay by Emmett." His voice was pained, and hoarse. I held his hand in mine. It felt so frail, like it would break any second.

"What about you?" I whispered in his ear. His face was wiped clean of emotion.

"Nothing will happen to me," he said in a hard voice that was quiet but full of authority.

"Are you going to leave the house?"

"No." His tone was guarded, and showed no emotion whatsoever.

EPOV

I kept my voice smooth, not expressing any emotions or feelings. What was I supposed to say to Bella? That David might be able to knock down the door, and come beat me up. David hated me, no question about that. I was stronger than him, and he resented me for some reason. Today would be the perfect day to beat me up, and get to Bella. But Bella would be okay. I hadn't felt fear in seven years, but now I did. Fear of David.

I heard heavy footsteps, and then a knock at my door. "Edward, it's Emmett." I pressed my fingers to my temples, and exhaled sharply.

"Alice, can you get it?" Emmett came in looking grim.

"Alright, what's the problem here?" He demanded. Before I could open my mouth, Bella and Alice took care of all the chatting. Alice threw her arms around Emmett.

"Emmett! See, David wanted to come get Bella, and now Edward is worried for me, so I have to go with you and Bella." By the time Alice was finished, she was hyperventilating. Bella then started speaking.

"Alice basically just said it all, but where are we going?" Emmett grinned at both of them.

"I think that's for Edward to decide. Where should Bella go? And Alice will come wherever we go. I'm not making two trips."

"I'm not sure where you can go, but I would like you to stay with them if that's all right?"

"Sure little brother." I sighed, and that brought on a round of coughing. Bella was immediately at my side, brushing my hair out of my eyes.

"I need to stay with you, Edward," Bella said. "You've got a high temperature, and David could hurt you." Her brown eyes burned into mine.

BPOV

I stared at Edward, waiting for a response to what I had just said. He looked into my eyes, and I couldn't look away from his intense gaze. "Bella," he said softly. "I won't let David hurt me, I promise. If I come back with any injuries, you have the right to kill me." His voice was so firm, that I didn't have a doubt in my mind. If he said David wouldn't hurt him, then I'm sure David wouldn't.

"So you just want me to go with Emmett?" He nodded.

"Yes, I promise that I'll be fine. And just let me do one more thing before you go." He pulled me into his arms, and kissed my forehead. The kiss was light and sweet, but inside it was a deeper more powerful meaning.

"Good bye Edward." Tears were streaming down my cheeks, and he lifted up his finger to wipe them off.

"I love you Bella. Go with Emmett." I had completely forgotten about Alice and Emmett, and they looked patient when I lifted my head up.

Apparently we were going out a window so that Edward's door could remain locked. Right before Emmett was about to go out, he grinned at Edward. "By the way little brother, I like your way of driving. Speeding is fun, I should go faster next time." Edward sighed, and winced.

"Bye Emmett, thank you." Right before I went out the window and closed it behind me, I saw Edward drop his head down, and shake. He didn't look any better than before. Someone should've taken him to the hospital.

Once we were in Emmett's jeep, I started to freak out. Edward had promised me that he would be okay, but would he really?

"Alice," I said frantically. "Do you think Edward is really going to be okay?"

"Yes, I think so. Even if Edward is as weak as he is, David could never beat him in a fight," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, Alice is right. Edward's too strong," Emmett put in.

"But he can't even stand up? How will he be able to fight David if he can't even move?"

"He knows some pretty good fighting moves too. Don't worry about him Bella." Alice patted my shoulder reassuringly."

"Why didn't we take him with us?" I wondered.

"Edward is very proud, sometimes a little too proud. He wouldn't have come," Alice said.

"Oh."

EPOV

Bella was gone. Bella was gone. That's all I kept thinking to myself. I had felt so relieved. But then the fear had returned. I should have gone with them. If David came, then he would kill me; I was kidding myself if I thought that I could beat him.

I couldn't walk, or do anything. I lifted my hand up and it started shaking; that made me smirk. If I couldn't even make a fist with my hand, then what chance would I have of punching him? None, that was the answer.

I felt like puking again, but nothing came. I heard heavy slow footsteps outside my door. They stopped, and what I heard next made me cringe.

"Edward?" David's voice was calm, but even if he spoke gently, it still held mockery in it. I could hear him moving the locked door handle. "What are you doing in there? Party's wild, you should go." The muscles in my stomach tightened.

"Sorry, I'm busy with another female right now. Is there any alcohol left down there?" I tried to ask in a confident voice. It was surprising to me how normal it sounded. I heard David snicker.

"Whatever Cullen, who is it?"

"Hold on baby," I said gently to the non-existent girl in front of me. "She's from Florida, her name is Elizabeth."

"Well, have fun Cullen. I've got some business to attend to. See ya." I had been holding my breath, and I exhaled in relief. Bella was okay, I was going to be okay. I would never let myself get this way again. Sleep was coming, and I closed my eyes, trying to forget about today.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**I have not updated in awhile, and I'm so sorry. A random idea occured to me. Do any of you want a small David POV in a future chapter to see his twisted mind? Just a thought, and now, on with the story.**

**BPOV**

It had been two months since that awful day where Edward was sick, and David had been trying to get to me. I never did find out what had happened to Edward while I was gone. He came back without any injuries.

So here I was, with absolutely nothing to do. There wasn't anything interesting on television, and the house was clean, and all of my homework was done. I had just read all of my Jane Austen books, and therefore, had nothing to read. Charlie was gone, and I wanted to call Edward.

My cell phone was somewhere in the house, on vibrate, and I was too lazy to look for it. I called the house, since I had memorized the Cullens' number. Edward's cell phone number was stuck in my head, but I didn't want to bother him if he wasn't there.

It rang three or four times before someone picked up. I hoped that someone was Edward, but it was Emmett instead.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Emmett, it's Bella. Is Edward there?"

"Yeah, Edward's coming down the stairs now, here he is..." I waited anxiously while Emmett passed the phone to Edward.

"Edward!" I said happily.

"Where's all the enthusiam coming from?" He asked me playfully.

"I'll give you three guesses," I said.

"Why?" He honestly sounded like he had no idea that my happiness was because of him.

"Well, because I'm talking to you, and the sound of your voice makes me happy." I heard him chuckle.

"That's not a very good reason." I frowned.

"Why?"

"Nevermind," he said. "What did you call for?"

"Um, I'm just bored, and I want to see you sometime this weekend."

"Hmm...tommorow is good, where do you want to go? Actually forget that, I know exactly where we're going," he said devilishly.

"What are you planning?" I asked suspiciously.

"We have three days off after the weekend, right?" He asked me.

"Yeah, so it's technically a five day weekend," I said.

"Excellent, we're going to Florida," he said abruptly.

"Florida?" I asked him incerdulously. I could picture him shrugging.

"Yeah, the whole family's going, so we could bring you. And you wouldn't be lying to your father if you told him that you were going with Alice since she's coming." He had to be crazy. Charlie would never let me go.

"Charlie would never let me, you know that," I said. "And especially if I'm the one asking. Can you imagine how that would look like to him? I spend a lot of time at your house, and now I'm going with you on family trips." Edward should have known what I was telling him.

"Oh no Bella, I wasn't planning on having you asking. Of course it wouldn't work, therefore, Carlisle and Esme will do it for you," he said.

"But?" He cut me off.

"No, you're coming," he said. It was final, there was nothing I could do about it.

"So what do I bring?"

"Pack whatever you need for five days, and bring a bathing suit," he said.

"A bathing suit? I don't own one." He laughed.

"I didn't mean one for you to go swimming. Just for my own personal pleasure of seeing you wear it." He snickered

"You so sick, Edward Cullen!" I teased him. He laughed, comepletely carefree.

"I know, I've perfected that over the years. Convincing Chief Swan won't be a problem."

"If you're sure, Edward. Are you positive that your family wants me to come along with them? I mean, I've been wondering if they don't want me around as much as I have been."

"Bella," he sighed. "They wouldn't care if you lived with me. You don't see how I have changed. You don't know how I would be without you Bella."

"That's not true Edward. You would be fine without me," I protested.

"Do you want to know what happened when we left each other after a day?" He sounded sad.

"No, do I want to know what happened?" I asked skeptically.

"Probably not, but I'll tell you anyway. Remember I told you that I hadn't done drugs that often?" I interrupted him.

"You did drugs?" I gasped.

"Yes, frequently. Smoking increased too. I did my best not to think about you. But ever since we've been back together, I haven't touched one cigarette or anything else. Ask Alice if you don't believe me." I was shocked.

"How could you let yourself be so...so stupid Edward? Who cares if I'm gone? That's like slowly killing yourself," I lectured him.

"That's funny," he said thoughtfully. "Alice said the exact same thing."

"It doesn't matter who told you what. You can never do anything like that again," I said severly.

"That's not an issue right now. I won't be doing anything anytime soon." I was only partially relieved.

"Let's move on to lighter subjects, when are we leaving?"

"Tommorow morning. Alice just reserved a plane ticket for you, so you don't have to worry. You'll be sitting next to me too. Is that okay with you?"

"What king of a question is that?" I asked him.

"Okay, I'll take that as a yes, then." Then I realized something.

"Did you just say that you reserved a plane ticket for me? You can't do that!" I told him over the phone.

"Why not?" He sounded surprised.

"Because, you can't bring me on a trip, and pay for my plane ticket at the same time," I said stubbornly.

"Want to bet?" He challenged. Edward knew that just his voice would have me melt, so it was better not to refuse.

"Fine," I sighed in defeat.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly. "What time do you want to be picked up in the morning?"

"I don't know, what time is the flight?" I asked, confused. Why would Edward ask me, wouldn't he want me to be picked up so that we wouldn't miss the flight?

"Noon, so we'll pick you up at nine."

"Oh. We need to be three hours early? I know that two is good." Edward chuckled. He might have taken what I said the wrong way, like I was trying to dictate what he and his family should do.

"No," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to sound rude, I just..." He cut me off.

"The hour drive to Port Angeles," he said simply.

"Oh. But aren't you driving?"

"No," Edward said icily. "I have to watch Carlisle drive. Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper are taking Alice's porsche. Esme's coming with us. Apparently I need more supervision," he muttered.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

"When they suggested that I invite you, I immediately asked if you could sit with me, and they agreed," he explained. "Though, there are some advantages to being in the backseat, but if the parents are watching, then those advantages are gone," he sighed.

I giggled. "Edward, holding your hand is enough. We can get to the kissing later; maybe on the plane," I suggested.

"Yep, in front of the passengers who want to have a nice time. That's likely. They'll probably make us seperate, I'll refuse, and then they'll get my parents." Edward actually had a good point.

"We can after we get off the plane."

"Whatever, that's not the point at the moment. Expect a call from Charlie in ten minutes saying that you can go." Without saying anything else, he hung up. Edward wasn't one to talk on the phone forever.

Ten minutes later, the house phone rang. "Hello?" I asked hopefully. If it was Charlie, then I would be surprised if he let me go.

"Bella, Carlisle and Esme just called me to tell me that they have an extra plane ticket to go to Florida, and that they wanted you to come. Did you know about this?"

"No," I automatically responded.

"I guess you can go if they invited you, but just try not to be too much of a burden," he sighed.

"Thank you so much Dad!" I said joyfully. If he was in the room with me, then I would have hugged him.

"No problem, and I'll be at the house around nine in the morning tommorow, I'm going fishing with Billy early in the morning."

I barely heard what my father had said, only that he was coming sometime to the house tommorow. But it didn't matter when because me and Edward would have the chance to actually go out without being undercover, or pretending to hate each other.

The phone rang, and I picked it up on the first ring. If Edward wanted to talk to me though, he probably would have called my cell phone.

"Hello?" I asked. There was no answer. "Hello?" I said again.

"Hey baby," a strange male voice said.

"Who is this?" I whispered.

"It's David." I froze, and almost dropped the phone. "Look. I know the first time we met, we got off on the wrong foot. What would you like to do? We can go to a movie or something," he laughed.

"I'm busy," was all I said. I screamed after I ended the call, and disconnected the phone. He was still after me. Why had I been so stupid? I should have known that he would have eventually tried to come get me. Should I call Edward? I would do it tommorow when we were alone.

I fell into an unsettled sleep with horrific nightmares. Tommorow morning would be better, I would finally be in Edward's safe arms.

**Morning...**

I heard someone knock on the door, and I opened it quickly. My personal angel was standing in the doorway.

"Thank you Edward. For everything, coming here and picking me up for Florida." He smiled at me.

"Good, I hope this means I'm not on your hate list," he teased me, but his voice was just playfull.

"You left it a long time ago." He grinned, and I smiled back.

I suddenly heard a car door slam. Who was that? I felt the color from my face dissapear.

"Alice?" I asked Edward in a small voice, clinging to the last hope that it was her. Edward shook his head.

"Edward, get out of here." I ran to the back door, but it wouldn't budge, and Edward tried, but even for him it was too stiff.

"Bella, maybe I should go out a window." It was too late, Charlie had opened the door, but hadn't seen Edward yet.

"Bella, you want to order a pizza, you cook too often." I nodded my head grimly.

"Sh, sure dad. Pizza would be great!" I tried to improve my volume.

"Bel..." Charlie glared at the person behind me. Edward and I were holding hands which was even worse. Charlie was going to kill me.

"Dad, listen. I can explain. It's my fault. You see, I was invited to Florida, and Edward volunteered to pick me up..." I trailed off, knowing that an explanation was hopeless. Charlie wasn't listening.

"Well, well, well, Edward Cullen. What a funny place to see you. The chief's house, who would have known that you were insane enough to show up here. Then again, I have no explanation for your behavior. I know I've run into you many times, but you coming inside my house, that's a first." I turned to see Edward's reaction, and it wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of confident, it was terrified.

"Chief Swan, like your daughter said before, I was picking her up for Florida. My whole family was busy packing." He stopped.

"So Bella, care to explain why you're holding hands with him? How long has this little romance been going on between you two?" I paled.

"Well, I was having a really difficult time in math, and Edward was helping me because he's really good and has an A. We became good friends, it's nothing else. I've held boys' hands before just as friends, and it didn't bother you." I said in a small voice.

"Edward Cullen has an A in something, that's great to hear. And why didn't you ask me for a tutor? I would have found someone who didn't commit crimes!" He shouted. Edward cringed.

"Dad, stop! I'm the one who asked Edward, and I..." I was interrupted again.

"And why were you even speaking to him? Why? I told you he was trouble, and here I find him in my living room! How long have you been socializing with him? Tell me!" Charlie demanded.

"Stop, please. Edward sits next to me in Biology, and we got along right away, that's why he's here picking me up because I trust him." Of course Charlie knew that I was lying.

"Stop lying Bella. Edward, what did you do to my daughter?"

"Nothing sir," he tried to say in a confident voice.

"What did he do to you Bella?"

"Nothing," I protested.

"Edward Cullen, I see you within ten feet of my daughter, and I'll have you in jail before you can say the word "arrested". Is that clear?" Edward nodded, and went in a quick pace out the front door. I turned to face Charlie after Edward was gone.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Charlie?" Did I just say the word "fuck"? Oh god.

"What did you just say Bella?" He whispered. Shoot, I was in for it now.

"Nothing."

"You said the f-word! Now you're adopting his language?!" Charlie was shouting again. I cringed back.

"No, I, I've always known that word, everybody does. You know it too dad," I told him in a squeaky voice.

"Yes, but I don't use it," he barked. He was scaring me, so I went out the door.

"Where do you think you're going Isabella?" I didn't answer and just kept running. I was running into the woods, and I tripped, and fell. What was the point on going on? Charlie couldn't know where I was. Surprisingly, I was farther into the forest than I had thought. Tears came flooding out of my eyes, for Edward. I sobbed, and it was so hard to believe that several months ago, I had hated him.

"Bella?" His beautiful voice soothed me.

"Yes?" I asked, my face probably looking like hell.

"Bella," Edward said in a worried voice, "what are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here Edward?"

"I didn't want to go home, so I just came here. Then, I saw someone running, and I figured it was you. Why are you out here?"

"Because of Charlie." Grief filled Edward's eyes.

"So I can't see you anymore?" He asked. I looked at him, shocked.

"Of course you can, we can sneak. Aren't you good at that sort of thing?" He had half a smile on his face.

"No, we can't, not anymore. Bella, if your father finds out again, he said that he would have me put in..." Edward got a far, distant look in his eyes.

"What's wrong Edward?"

"I don't want to repeat those expriences," he said in a whisper.

"Edward, I won't let him, we'll just have to be more careful." I gazed up into his eyes, and met his green gaze. He took my hands, and held them.

I sighed and closed my eyes, and laid my head against his chest. He looked down at our hands, and sighed.

"This isn't right Bella. We can't see each other anymore, you'll get into trouble." His eyes were extremely sad, and he let go of my hands. I got angry, and tears came to my eyes.

"So you're giving up because you're afraid?" I asked him.

"Yes. I'll get into trouble, and so will you. Charlie's not stupid Bella. I don't want to get arrested and thrown into jail."

"You really are giving up, aren't you? You won't even try?" Edward just still kept the same sad expression.

"No. Because even if I do, you know that it won't work, it just won't."

"Of course it will Edward. What about at school, we can't even talk then?"

"Someone will see," he whispered.

"That's stupid," I yelled. "You're an idiot! You know that you can do it, you're just too selfish! That's exactly what you are!" He took a step back from me.

"Don't ever say that," he said in a low harsh voice. "I'm not an idiot, and I know when to stop. I shouldn't have even started getting involved with you, it was stupid. You're the chief's daughter, Bella."

"You've made the past two months the best of my life. How can you just leave?" His face was now held no emotion.

"No, I've made a mess. Now you're probably going to get grounded because of me. Chief Swan hates me, and you know it."

"You've saved my life, Edward. Without you, I would be dead." He remained calm.

"And without me, David would have never set eyes on you," he whispered.

"Bullshit, Edward! He looked at me without you. It's not your fault. You saved me from that drunk man, and I probably would have been raped or something if it hadn't been for you," I yelled.

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" He whispered. There was no point on telling him about the call from David now.

"No. Just promise me one thing," I said fiercly.

"Depends on what it is," he said back, sounding bored. I hated this offhand tone that he was using with me.

"Promise me that you won't do what you did last time when we weren't together." His green eyes held mine.

"I won't," he said seriously.

"Good. I guess this is the end then," I said calmly.

"Yes. Don't do anything stupid Bella." And he sprinted away from me, and went deeper into the woods.

I ran away, as fast as I could, faster than I had to escape Charlie. He didn't call back, and once I looked back, I didn't see him anymore, he was gone, along with the love that he had given me. I walked back to my house, and put on a cheerful face for Charlie.

Once I came back inside, he glared. "If I ever find you with him again, I'll..." Before he could say another word, I responded with what he wanted to hear, which was the truth.

"I'm so sorry about Edward," I said sincerely. That was a lie. "I promise that I'll never talk to him, or see him again." And that was the truth.

"Do you promise me, Bella?" he asked.

"Yes. It was stupid. Can I see the Cullens?" I asked. Charlie studied me for a moment.

"Yes, you've never been known to lie, and this wasn't exactly a lie, you kept something from me. But, you may see Alice and the other Cullens, I don't have a problem with them. However, if I ever hear that you've been seeing Edward Cullen, there will be serious consequences. Understood?"

"Yes, dad, I understand." Charlie nodded and walked away. I was going to pretend that what had happened with Edward was just my imagination. I suddenly vaguely remembered that Charlie told me that he was coming in the morning. This was my fault, but Charlie would have eventually found out.

**EPOV**

I ran away, ran away from what I had just said to Bella. Was it really selfish for me not wanting to go to jail? No, I decided, no it wasn't. My phone rang, and I answered despite my mood.

"Hello," I said dully.

"Edward? Where are you? We need to leave now, do you have Bella?" Alice asked, worried.

"Count me out, I'm not going, and neither is Bella. Can I talk to Esme?"

"Sure." I waited a couple of seconds, and Esme came on the phone.

"Edward, what's wrong?" She sounded upset. Why would they want to take me? I was a crazy person anyway.

"Can I just stay in the house by myself? Please," I pleaded.

"Edward, answer my question first."

"No," I snapped at her.

"Edward," she whispered. "Are you stuck somewhere? Have you done something?" She sounded desperate now.

"No, shit. Can I just stay by myself? I don't want to go to Florida," I yelled.

"Alright Edward. Do you still have your credit card?"

"Yes."

"Alice wants to speak with you," she said. I didn't want to talk to Alice, I just wanted to be alone, but I decided to be polite.

"Edward, tell me what's going on right now," she demanded.

"If I didn't tell Esme, why would I tell you?" I snapped the phone shut. An hour passed by, and I decided to run home. By the time I arrived at the house, they would be gone.

It took me half an hour to get there, and I hadn't stopped running. I opened the door, and found the house empty. Being alone was what I wanted, and finally, I had gotten my wish. I hadn't heard from David since the day he had come to the party, which meant that Bella was probably safe. Good, that was one problem out of the way. Actually when I thought about it, all of my problems were gone. I no longer had to worry about David, and the issue with Chief Swan was gone. The only problem I had was getting over Bella; how long could that take?

**This is why Edward is so scared of Chief Swan. Review please. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**This is just a chapter with everyone's POV since Edward and Bella broke up, and I'm going to include a small David POV. I'll try to make it bigger in a future chapter, but I can't do a lot with it right now. **

Gone. He was gone. That's all I kept thinking about. Sometimes I wondered if he missed me. Probably not, it was him who had ended it after all. He would have called if he wanted to get back together. Why couldn't we start dating again when Charlie could trust me not to go out with Edward? As soon as I had gotten home, I had deleted his cell phone number, and the house phone of the Cullens. And pretty soon, I forgot the Cullens' number along with Edward's.

Whatever, it was his decision anyway, so my opinion didn't matter. I never let Charlie see my depressed state. If I did, then he would probably yell at me again like he had last time. The Cullens never looked at me, and it seemed like Edward was still skipping school.

Why did I even care? It was his business if he did stupid things. Frankly, if I didn't have any chance of going to college, then I wouldn't go to school either. But I wasn't in that position, so I couldn't know.

Biology was the most painful subject of all. It was like there was a glass wall between me and Edward. I couldn't hear him, but I could see him, and that was the most painful part. His beauty surrounded me through that hour, and I almost got to the point where I felt like throwing up. He didn't even look at me, his eyes never flashed to my face. I looked at him occasionally, but rarely.

He just did his math homework, and paid no attention to the teacher. He showed up occasionally to class, and every time was more painful than the last. He had seemed to get over me, but I wasn't over him.

I had biology today, and a new boy was standing at the front of the room. He was cute, but nothing compared to Edward, no one was comparable.

"Class, this is William Johnson, and I want you to make him feel welcome," the teacher said. All of the girls started whispering, and the boys were glaring at him.

"William, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?" The teacher asked, trying to encourage him.

"Sure," William said in an appealing voice.

"Well, I go by Will, and I'm from LA. That's about it," Will muttered. Several girls couldn't look away from him. I looked at Edward to see his reaction, but as usual, his calm expression remained unchanged.

The teacher pulled a lab table where two people could be seated in the back. And that's when I saw the perfect opportunity to partially leave my miserable hell next to the boy I loved.

The class started buzzing about random things, and I saw this as the perfect time to ask the teacher if I could sit next to Will. I went up to Mr. Fieldsman quietly, and no one seemed to notice that I had left, especially not Edward.

"Mr. Fieldsman. I have a question. Could we go out in the hall perhaps?" He nodded, and followed me out.

"How can I help you Ms. Swan?"

"Well, it's my seating arrangement," I hesitated.

"Go on," he said.

"Well, Mr. Cullen hasn't exactly done anything to me, it's just that when he comes in the classroom late, I just find it well, distracting," I finished with my lame excuse. The teacher looked pensive.

"I see where you are coming from Ms. Swan, where would you like to sit?" I had thought about this too.

"Well, sir, I was thinking next to Will. No one should have to sit next to Mr. Cullen, and maybe I could make friends with Will, and show him around the school." He smiled at my idea.

"That's brilliant. Of course you may go sit with him, I would not have a problem with that," Mr. Fieldsman said.

"Thank you so much," I smiled.

"No problem. Just take your things, and go sit with him." I didn't want to leave Edward, but it was more painful sitting next to him.

I cautiously approached Will, not knowing how he would accept me. Would he think that I was some random girl with a crush on him?

"Hi Will, my name's Isabella Swan, but I prefer Bella for short."

"Nice to meet you Bella. Why are you sitting over here?"

"The teacher sent me over here to sit next to you, I don't know why. Do you mind, because I could try to convince him to put me next to someone else."

"I don't mind at all. It's nice to get to know someone. So anyway, how long have you lived here?"

"Several months, why did you come?" I asked before I thought. "Sorry, that's none of my business," I said quickly. He laughed.

"It's fine. My parents want to live closer to our relatives, and they found jobs with good salaries in Port Angeles. The commute is an hour, but they thought it was worth it," he said casually.

"Why did you move here? Don't tell me if you don't want to? I'm just asking, no pressure." I smiled. He was a nice guy that I could be friends with.

"My parents got divorced when I was younger, and I was living with my mom, so I felt like living with my dad for the rest of high school." I didn't want to go into details about my mother remarrying, so I figured a brief explanation would be best.

"Did you leave any good friends behind?" He asked curiously.

"No, not really. I had some friends in Phoenix, but we weren't that close. I've made a fair amount of friends here. Do you want to sit with us tomorrow?"

"That would be great!" His eyes lit up, and I finally got a good look at him. He had nice brown hair which was messy, but in a cute way. His skin was slightly tan, and I could see that he was muscled. More on the thin side, but still muscled. He wasn't anything compared to Emmett, and he looked less muscular than Edward. His height was about six feet, and he wore nice clothes. And he had beautiful brown eyes that were the color of dark chocolate, there was no other way to describe them.

Finally, Mr. Fieldsman started lecturing, and Will took out paper and started taking notes. I did the same until he spoke.

"Do you take notes when you don't have to?" Again, his tone was not critical, just curious.

"Yeah, just in case. Everything is usually in the book, but sometimes Mr. Fieldsman says some information that's not in the book, but on the test," I whispered. He laughed quietly.

"I do the same," he said simply.

"Really?" I asked, intrigued. "I thought I was the only one who did that. Most of the students in here do homework for other classes." He laughed again.

"Well, it's better to be safe than sorry, as they say." I nodded my head in agreement.

We spent the rest of the class period taking notes, and focusing on what the teacher was saying. Being in the same room with Edward was still painful, but less now that I was away from him.

It was five minutes till class ended, and I decided to ask Will something. "Hey Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like to come with me and my friends to Port Angeles? We could show you around. There's not much to see around Forks."

"Awesome! I haven't been there yet. It would be nice to get to know the area." I really liked Will; he was nice, friendly, and talked a lot. "And don't tell the Forkers or Forkians that I said this, but there doesn't seem to be much to look at in Forks," he whispered, then laughed.

I laughed along with him, but it was fake now that I had looked at Edward. Will didn't seem to notice me while he was packing his backpack.

"Hey Jess," I said with fake enthusiasm. She looked at me, and stopped. Before I could say another word, she was talking to me at a high speed.

"Honestly Bella, why do you get to sit next to all of the hotties? First Edward Cullen, and now Will? It's just not fair," she whined.

"Edward Cullen?" I asked her in a fake disbelieving tone. "You think I enjoyed sitting next to him? He's so distracting when he comes in late." Edward passed right by me as I said this.

"True," Jess agreed. "He's hot, but for once I agree. The fact that he's good-looking doesn't excuse his behavior," she said sadly.

"Yeah. Will agreed to sit with us tomorrow, and I'm bringing him to Port Angeles with a group of people, and you're the first person I thought of. Can you ask Mike? I'm going to see Angela soon, so I'll ask her, and she can ask Ben. I was also thinking Tyler, and Eric."

"So many boys," Jessica gushed. "Of course I'll ask Mike, he's not so bad looking himself," she whispered.

"Cool, I'll ask Eric and Tyler."

"Bye Bella, thanks for inviting me. I really appreciate it," she said while throwing one more quick glance at Will before leaving the classroom.

"See ya Will," I called as I left.

"Bye Bella." Once I was away from Will, Edward came back into my thoughts, and I had to fake smiles, and laughs.

I was really asking Will to come with me so that I could keep doing activities that would take my mind off of Edward. A lot of those smiles were forced, and fake. I couldn't keep this up for much longer; I had to get over Edward Cullen.

**Cullen Household…**

**APOV**

I was in Rosalie's room pacing. She was sitting at her desk, and thinking. I suddenly couldn't stand it anymore.

"Rosalie, I can't take it! Edward is either gone doing god knows what, and when he's home he's moping. It's like he's a robot or something. He has destroyed everything that he composed on the piano. I sneaked into his room, and stole the sheet music before he could burn it," I complained. Usually I didn't have an excuse for whining, but now I did.

"I agree. Edward's being a little too extreme. When I look at him, it seems like he's died or something."

"And the worst part is," I kept going. "Edward hasn't even told us how he and Bella broke up. He won't let anyone enter his room, and refuses to carry out a conversation. It's ridiculous!"

"I know, I know. He needs to get a grip." I suddenly smiled.

"We have to get them back together. I know that I can do it," I said. Though as the words came out, I knew it wasn't like the last time they had separated.

"No, Alice. This isn't something we can help them with. Something bad happened to Edward and Bella right before they broke up, and I have a pretty good guess as to what happened." That stopped me short.

"Edward told you?" I asked in disbelief.

"No. But Chief Swan was an issue. I think that he found out about the relationship, and probably threatened Edward with jail or something like that. Edward has gotten better, and my guess is that he doesn't want to go back. No one would want to go to jail, of course, I just think that he cares now more than any other time in his life," Rosalie murmured.

"Can't we do something? Edward was slowly getting back to well…Edward. He wasn't doing stupid things," I protested.

"No Alice. This is too serious. If it was just a tiny fight about Edward smoking or something, then we could help. But this is worse. They are the only ones who can sort themselves out. You agree, don't you?" I had to admit it, Rosalie was right.

"Yes, Rose, I agree. I hate to agree, but I do. Isn't there anything that we could do, just one small thing?" I begged.

"There's nothing," was all she said. I felt like crying.

"It was such a good relationship though. They were helping each other," I said quietly.

"They were," Rosalie agreed in a whisper. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Maybe I should talk to Chief Swan. He couldn't possibly throw me in jail because I've done nothing wrong." I knew that the idea was stupid, but if Rosalie approved, then I would try.

"Alice, don't do that, you'll only make things worse. Chief Swan would be pissed off at you, and Edward would find out. I'm glad that you're brainstorming, but that would not work out, trust me," she said.

"I know. I just want them to get back together. We haven't spoken to Bella in days. But still, I would be in no danger of going to jail," I insisted. Rosalie shook her head, and looked sad.

"No, but Edward might be," Rosalie whispered.

"What?" I gasped. "How could Edward go to jail if I talked to Chief Swan? This would have nothing to do with Edward. The chief couldn't use anything against Edward, nothing at all."

"On the contrary," Rosalie said thoughtfully. "It has everything to do with Edward. Look at it this way. Chief Swan can't be too happy right now. Let's say you go talking to him tomorrow." I nodded, and spoke.

"So this is hypothetical?" I asked just to make sure. Rosalie laughed.

"Of course."

"Okay, continue. Sorry for interrupting." Rosalie smiled.

"Well, Chief Swan is angry, like I said, and you talking to him would infuriate him even more." I interrupted her again. She got a slightly frustrated look on her face.

"But I still don't see what this has to do with Edward."

"Let me finish. Anyway, so Chief Swan might think that Edward put you up to this. Then, that anger would be directed mostly towards Edward, not you, and that doesn't help him in the slightest for getting on Chief Swan's good side. Plus, he would think that Edward was trying to see Bella without his permission, and since I'm guessing the chief threatened Edward with jail if he spent time with Bella, and that might have been a warning, not just a threat."

I was still confused. "But what could he possibly use against Edward?" Rosalie shrugged.

"Plenty of things. He could say that Edward threatened Bella to date him, and Edward's old behavior won't help him. Do you see why Edward is scared? He doesn't want to get thrown into jail, especially when he knows that he did nothing wrong."

"Carlisle and Esme wouldn't let Chief Swan do that to Edward, there's no way, and Bella would certainly stand up for him. Didn't Edward save her life?" Rosalie gave me a look.

"You're relying on Bella to keep Edward out of jail? Are you serious? Carlisle and Esme might have a chance, but Bella would be useless in that situation."

"She still loves Edward, I know she does. We just have to convince the chief that Edward has gotten better, and would never hurt her." Rosalie suddenly glared at me.

"We are not doing anything. Edward is in a tough position now, and it's better if he avoids attention. Do you promise me that you won't do anything?" She asked me in a firm voice.

"Yes, I promise," I said quietly.

"There's nothing we can do, you know that. I don't think Edward is going to be contacting Bella anytime soon," Rosalie whispered.

"Do you think they'll ever get back together Rose?"

"I hope so, but I doubt it. What happened to them was bad, and it might just be the end. Edward will eventually move on, people do."

"Rose, Edward probably isn't defending Bella anymore against David, what should we do?"

Rosalie thought for a minute before answering. "You and I aren't strong enough to defend her. Jasper could, but he's too busy now. Carlisle has a full time job, so he definitely can't. The only person who can is Emmett; I'll ask him right now."

Rosalie called for Emmett and he soon came up to see what was wrong. "Hey Alice," he greeted me. Then he looked at Rosalie. "What's wrong Rose?"

"You know that Edward and Bella aren't together anymore, right?" Emmett grimaced.

"Of course, Edward's acting mental, who wouldn't notice?" Rosalie sighed.

"You remember David?" Emmett frowned.

"The creep who wants to rape Bella?" I could see the anger in his eyes, and if he wasn't family, then I would be too scared to approach him.

"Yes," I said before Rose could continue. "Since Edward's gone, Bella needs someone to protect her, and you're the best option because you have more free time than Jasper." Emmett looked at both of us like we were crazy.

"How exactly do you want me to protect Bella without telling her? I can't follow her in between classes, she's a year younger than me." Emmett was right.

"Yes, but can you just keep an eye on her whenever you see her? I know that she isn't speaking to us, but just try your best," I whispered. Emmett nodded, and left without a word. He didn't seem angry, just sad.

"Can this situation get any worse, Rosalie?" I asked, meaning it to be a rhetorical question. Rosalie answered me anyway.

"It could get a lot worse from here, this is just the beginning. With David on the loose, who knows what will happen," Rosalie said grimly.

I wasn't mad at Rosalie for stating the obvious. The anger was just about the situation in general.

EPOV

My family had come back from Florida on Wednesday, and then they noticed my depression. At first they said nothing, but when Bella hadn't been over for a couple of days, they guessed that we had broken up. And they were right.

They asked me what had happened, Alice most of all, but I just walked away and didn't say a word. I started destroying the CDs that had the piano recordings on them. If I could, then I would get rid of my piano somehow, but it was 10,000 dollars, so I decided against it.

Finally, everyone stopped talking to me, and I didn't talk to them. Despite what I had promised Bella, it hurt to think her name, I started smoking, and didn't care. I stayed away from drugs for the most part, and had occasional sips of beer.

I never heard David say anything about Bella, so as time went on, I relaxed. He was done, he must be.

I was sitting one day in Biology when a new boy walked into the classroom. I just looked at him for half a second, and then at the girls. They stared at him lustfully, and I didn't look over at Bella to see her reaction. Sometimes out of the corner of my eye, I could see her staring at me.

The teacher introduced Will, which was his name apparently, and he pulled a desk out that was in the back so that Will could sit there. Bella quietly got up, and I stayed focused on my math problems. She was gone for about five minutes, and when she came back, I heard her move, and with a quick glance, saw her go sit with Will.

Of course she would want to get away from me as soon as possible. It was clear now that she had moved on, and that hurt.

DPOV

I had been looking as Isabella or Bella while she didn't realize it. By her reaction on the phone, she didn't want to go out with me. But I would soon force her to, somehow. The right moment hadn't shown up yet, and it was going to present itself soon.

For now, I just stayed hidden and watched her from afar, and that was perfectly fine with me. Whenever I mentioned Bella to Brad or Luke, they laughed. I didn't tell them about what I was planning, but I told them when I saw her trip, and random things like that.

She just had to be at the right place, and at the right time. She seemed completely carefree with all of her friends, and the new guy, Will. I hated him already because he was consuming Bella's time.

What I didn't understand about her was why she didn't want to make out with me. Usually, the girls were more than happy to go with me to some private place, and make out. Of course, fucking Edward Cullen always got the nicest and he didn't even seem to care.

If there was anyone that I wanted to beat up the most, it would be him. But, he was much stronger than I would ever be, and therefore I had to pretend to like him. Of course, he had probably realized that I didn't like him. Whatever, the time was coming soon.

**EPOV (Esme)**

Ever since Edward had left Bella, he acted like a ghost. He avoided us in the house, and I talked to Carlisle about it.

"We have to do something about Edward, Carlisle. He can't live like this, it's not healthy." Carlisle thought.

"What do you want to do? If we bring him to a psychologist, then he'll probably run away or do something else."

"Yes, but we can't just leave him alone. He's smoking again, and I occasionally smell alcohol on him, not too often though. Do you think he's doing drugs?" I asked, slowly getting panicked.

"I don't think so, but he does reek of cigarettes, and I don't know where he goes when he leaves. What do you want to do, exactly?"

"I don't know, is there anything we can do?" I asked desperately.

"I don't know, we could…" We were cut off by Edward.

"No, there's nothing you can do. Just fucking leave me alone, I don't need this crap from you or anyone else," he yelled. Edward was panting by the time he had finished yelling, and he walked out the front door.

I started crying. "What are we going to do with him?" Carlisle pulled me against his chest.

"I don't know. He's never shouted at us like that. He has yelled, but it was never this bad," Carlisle murmured.

EPOV (Emmett)

"Dammit Jasper, we need to help Edward. I have to go talk to Bella, and try to convince her to come back. Edward is slowly getting worse." Jasper glared at me.

"Alice wants to get them back together too, but it just won't work out, you know it."

"Yeah," Emmett muttered. "Rosalie told me about her conversation with Alice. There's really nothing we can do, is there?"

"No," Jasper said grimly.

"Can we talk to Edward and try to reason with him?" Jasper rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, and where exactly will that get us? Did you just hear him yell at Carlisle and Esme downstairs? He's never acted that badly before. He'll just end up yelling at you, so don't bother."

BPOV

I wanted Edward, no, I needed him. Would I ever see or speak to him again? No, I wouldn't. That day had been the end.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

This chapter could be worse than when Edward had told Bella about the four guys beating him up when he was ten, or the same, but it is definitely not cheerful. 

EPOV

I was sleeping peacefully, numbly even. Not feeling anything these days was pure bliss. It had been one month since Bella and I had broken up, and I wasn't feeling any better.

"Edward?" Asked Alice from the doorway to my room. I groaned and reluctantly got up.

"What do you want? I'm trying to sleep," I mumbled.

"Yeah," Alice said quietly. "You've been doing a lot of that lately."

"So what, sleep is good. It's healthy. Did you know that the average teenager needs at least nine hours of sleep a night, and I'm getting thirteen, that's plenty." I shrugged.

"Precisely. And you could knock off a couple hours, and do something besides stay in your room." I glared.

"What is it with all of you and wanting me to move on?" I demanded.

"She's not coming back, Edward. You haven't received anything from her, and she hasn't received anything from you."

"I don't care, Alice. I'm fine the way I am. What do you want me to do, exactly? Go and have sex with every girl on the street that I see. Believe me, I'm capable of it if I have beer with me and get drunk," I said in a bored voice.

"No Edward, alcohol is not the answer. What about volunteering at the local animal shelter, or better yet, work with small children!" She exclaimed at the last part.

"Kids?" I asked her incredulously. "Animals?"

"Okay, scratch those two ideas. I know your impatience, and it might result in violent consequences, but something like that." I now felt insulted.

"So you're telling me that because of my impatience I would abuse a kid or an animal?" Alice's eyes widened.

"I was referring to the boredom part," I told her icily.

"Okay, it doesn't matter. Just do something to take your mind off of Bella, something besides smoking or drugs." I was mad.

"Alice, why are you even in here? Do you know how irritated I'm getting now? I'm going to snap very soon, and I don't want to. If you leave, then I'll feel much better." Her mouth was pressed into a hard line.

"Whatever Edward," she hissed. "I'm just trying to help." And without another word, she slammed my door closed on her way out.

"Thank the lord," I muttered. Sleep came back, and I found Rosalie in my room once I woke up an hour later.

"What's wrong now? Why can't you people just leave me alone? That's all I want, it's not too much to ask for." Rosalie shook her head in dismay.

"I'm here to tell you that what you're doing isn't right. You need to change, and we're getting worried about you. All you do is sleep, and when you're not doing that, you're going out. Bella isn't here for you, so we are. Stop ruining yourself," she said firmly. I could feel the anger rising.

"Rosalie," I managed to say evenly. "I know that you're concerned, but I'm going to move on. Actually, I'm going to move on right now by moving into the guest room. Maybe if I'm gone from my room for a while, then I'll get better," I said darkly.

"Edward?" She slowly said, getting concerned.

"Yeah, can you help me with something?" I asked. She nodded.

"Can you get me those boxes from my closet? I have to throw away my CDs, they'll be a burden," I said calmly. Rosalie looked horrified.

"But you've been working on that collection for years. You even have CDs that you listened to when you were a baby."

"Great, I'll go get them myself then," I said.

"No Edward!" She protested. I sighed and put the boxes down.

"You're right, I shouldn't be throwing them away. Can I go back to sleeping?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "Edward, I'm making lunch, come help me." I snorted.

"I'll probably burn whatever you're making, so there's really no point." She smiled.

"Will you come watch then?" Her eyes were full of hope, and my anger returned.

"No!" I said icily. Rosalie sighed, and sat on my bed next to me.

"Edward, what you're doing is wrong, you have to move on. This can't go on for the rest of your life. Everyone's depressed because you are." My anger flared, and I was going to explode soon.

"Then stop thinking about me," I muttered.

"We can't because we love you. You have to stop this depression, it's not right. Edward you were moving on from your past with Bella, and now you're starting the same habits again."

"Dammit! It's my business what I do." I was now doing deep breathing and it actually helped somewhat. The thing I really wanted though, was a cigarette, desperately. "Can you hand me those, Rosalie? Please." I begged her.

She took them, but instead of handing them to me, she threw them in my trashcan. What the hell?!

"You are done with those!" She walked out. My anger wasn't going away. If someone else came into my room, then I would explode. I quickly fell back asleep, and then a knock at my door woke me up.

"If it's Alice or Rosalie, then go away!" I hissed. Carlisle and Esme entered. I was going to die, why was everyone coming in here?

"What?" I shouted. "What more can you have to say?" I suddenly took a deep breath and sat down.

Esme put her hand on my shoulder, and I resisted the urge to shake it off. "We've just come to tell you something, Edward," she said kindly. I didn't want to know whatever she wanted to tell me, I wanted to be alone.

"What is it?" I managed to say through my rage.

"You just have an appointment with a good friend we know, someone that can help you with your depression. If you need to go on medication, then we'll pay for it. Don't worry Edward, sometimes even a big boy like you needs help," she smiled at me. A shrink?

"You are bringing me to go see a psychologist?" I asked them very quietly.

"Yes Edward," Carlisle said. "We think you need help. This just can't continue for years, you need help with your feelings. It's okay to rely on someone else. You don't need to tell us about anything you discuss, you just need to be happier, that's all we want," he said calmly.

"Please," I whispered. "Please don't do this to me."

"Edward, just go for one session, that's all I ask for," Esme pleaded. She had finally dropped her hand.

"I'm not going to see your good friend. My feelings don't matter." Then something occurred to me. There was only one way to get rid of them, one threat that I hoped would work. They were giving me speeches that they loved me, so this would be a brilliant idea if they weren't lying.

In a very fast motion, I opened my drawer, and found my knife that I used for multiple purposes. They gasped when they saw it.

"If you bring me to some person who is useless, then I die," I said simply.

"Edward," Esme yelled. "Put it down, put the knife down, please. This has gone too far."

"No, you have gone too far, both of you." I lowered it, and hid it behind me. Carlisle backed away from me, and hid Esme behind him.

"Put the knife back in its case Edward. Do it now, or else I call the police." I smirked.

"I'm not violent, I'm only threatening to kill myself. Not you. Go ahead, call them." Emmett and Jasper burst into the room.

"What's going on?" Emmett demanded. Esme burst into tears. "Edward, why is mom crying? And what is wrong with you? Ever since Bella left, you've been acting like a zombie. At least Bella's making friends with some new people, and not acting depressed."

I shifted slightly and then Emmett and Jasper saw the knife. They glared at me. Rosalie and Alice stared because I held it in my hand now.

"Edward?" Alice asked, terrified. "What is that?" Jasper was immediately by her side.

"Go away," he murmured.

"Edward, are you suicidal?" She screamed. Jasper held her back from me.

"Don't go near him, he's never acted like this." Alice shook her head, and made a threat.

"If you don't get rid of that, then I'm calling Bella. You're suicidal, Edward." She pulled out her cell phone, and tapped her foot, waiting. I was calm, and smirked at every one of them.

"And if you call Bella, then I'm committing suicide, take your pick. You call Bella, and I die. You don't call Bella, and I live." Alice's eyes widened, and Jasper hid her behind him.

She snapped her phone shut, and stayed silent. My anger flared, and that's when I lost it. I ran down the stairs, and Alice followed me. Jasper was running to catch her, and so were the others.

"Are you all happy?" I shouted. "You told me to move on, so I have. We have two weeks off, and guess what, I'm leaving. I may or may not come back. You told me that you were all sad because of me, so it's best if you get rid of me. Congratulations! Rosalie and Alice, I'm going to get better by buying alcohol, and smoking. Carlisle and Esme, if I ever hear you suggest a shrink for me, then I'm leaving this fucking world permanently."

"Edward, stay!" Esme pleaded, tears running down her face. Alice stared at me in horror.

"Edward, calm down. Maybe we overreacted, and you are doing fine. If you say that you're getting better, then I'm sure you are. We just want you to be happy, that's it."

"Fine. I'll be happy with my companions." Emmett and Jasper were shielding Rosalie and Alice from me.

"Here's to Mr. Knife. He's a wonderful companion, he can kill me if I ask him to." I held up the knife to my throat. "And then to cigarettes, they're my best friends. Nice try in throwing them away Rosalie, you should have picked a trashcan that wasn't mine!"

"Edward, don't do this," Esme begged.

"Too late," was all I said. "And my Volvo and car keys will bring me to any fucking place I want. Then I have my credit card. You people won't be able to see what I'm buying because I made my personal account, but it's still your money being spent. Did I forget to mention my cell phone?"

"If anyone calls it to tell me to come back, them I'm dying. Take your fucking pick. I don't care, just leave me alone."

"Edward. Stay," Alice commanded.

"You know that you don't mean that Alice! Here's a great newspaper headline, this event should be marked down in history! "Edward Cullen Local Bad Boy of Forks Leaves: drugs, crimes and all!" Actually, this one is even better. "Bad Boy Edward Cullen Commits Suicide at Seventeen: Chief Swan Throws a Party." And guess what, you'll be special guests along with Bella!" I shouted.

"Edward, I'm serious," Alice said harshly. "If you leave, then I'm calling Bella." I smirked again.

"Fine, go ahead. I think crashing my car around a tree or something would be better. Hold on! Drug overdose, that's the best way!"

"Edward!" Carlisle cautioned as I approached Esme. I beckoned Esme near me.

"If I even find out that you're looking for me, then I'll end myself." She was sobbing now.

"That goes for everyone. If you try looking for me, then you know exactly what happens."

"You should all be fucking happy now. I'm gone. Your burden is gone. Edward Cullen is not going to be a problem for you anymore, throw a party! Invite the whole town to celebrate that I'm not coming back."

I grabbed my cell phone charger off of the table, and thought about everything I needed. My car had a suitcase full of my clothes, and crap that I needed to keep myself clean. I marched out the door, and slammed it behind me, sprinting to my car that was in the driveway.

I entered the grocery store, and bought roses. The cashier looked at me like I was crazy; she probably knew about my reputation, everyone did in a town this small. Once I had written a note in the tag of the bouquet, I dropped them off on Bella's porch, rang the doorbell, and then sped off before she could see me.

BPOV

Charlie wasn't home, and my face was tear-stained because I was still crying for Edward. It wasn't normal, I shouldn't be crying; he had probably moved on by now.

The doorbell rang, and I answered the door. But it was strange, no one was there.

"Hello?" I called out in the yard. No one showed up, but I saw a bouquet of roses on the porch. Who were these from?

I read the tag:

Bella,

I will always love you, and I want to say good-bye.

Edward

I called the Cullens; I needed to know where Edward was. Was it possible that he still loved me?

"Hello?" Alice asked over the phone.

"Is that really you, Alice?" I asked quietly.

"Bella?! Why are you calling?" She gasped.

"I…where's Edward?" Alice burst into tears when I said his name.

"Gone. I don't think he's coming back," she said quietly. I was shocked.

"Why? I mean, where is he going? Is he leaving for the two week break?" Alice sobbed. "What's going on, Alice? Tell me," I commanded.

"He's traveling," she said quickly, too quickly. "I'm crying because I'm going to miss him. Why do you ask?" She sounded a little more composed now.

"He left me roses on my porch, so I wanted to talk to him and see if we could try again. Charlie has cooled down, and I think sneaking might work again. Alice, I'm just so miserable. But if Edward has moved on, then that's perfectly fine. I'm just saying this in case he hasn't," I said quietly. Alice remained silent.

"It would have been helpful if you had called yesterday," Alice said quietly. It even sounded like she was mad.

"Are you accusing me of something?" I asked her rudely.

"No," she said quickly. "No, Edward was just being weird today, that's all. I was saying that maybe if you had come to calm him down, then he wouldn't have started swearing at all of us. That's all he did, he cussed." Alice seemed extremely nervous.

"Okay, Alice, tell me what's going on, or what happened," I demanded.

"Come over, we'll catch up," she said.

"Okay, bye. I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

APOV

"Shit!" I yelled. Jasper was immediately by my side.

"What's wrong?" He whispered urgently. I wasn't one to use Edward's language, and I only swore when I was extremely stressed out.

"She's coming over and wants to know what happened to Edward. We can't tell her anything." Rosalie looked at me strangely.

"Why?"

"Because it could end Edward's life. She's going to want to find him, and convince him out of it. The first problem is that we have no clue where he is, and the second is that if he sees her, then he'll kill himself. He threatened us with suicide if we called Bella, what do you think he's going to do if he sees her?" I said, my panic level slowly rising.

"Cut," Rosalie said. "Why would he kill himself if he saw Bella? Doesn't he want to get back with her?" She asked, confused.

"How are we supposed to know what Edward is going to do? He's never acted like that before, he's never lost control. I mean, his behavior has been idiotic in the past, but it was never this extreme," I told all of them. "We can't tell Bella," I said firmly. They all nodded.

"There's nothing we can do for him, is there?" Esme asked in a murmur.

"No," I said grimly, "there's nothing. We just have to wait for him to come back." Emmett started shouting.

"Dammit, we could be waiting for the rest of our lives! Why did we let him march out? Why didn't someone take the knife?" He roared.

"Because he threatened to kill himself, and he was holding the knife. Who wants to approach Edward when he has a knife in his hand? Did any of you get scared of him?" Rosalie whispered.

"I was," Esme murmured. I glared at all of them.

"Was I honestly the only one trying to stop him?" I asked them all in a low harsh voice.

"Alice, you shouldn't have gone near him. When Edward is like that, it's better if he's left alone," Jasper whispered. His voice soothed me, but his words didn't.

"Do any of you even love Edward? Was he right in saying that we would be happy if he left?" I was getting furious.

"Of course not, Alice, he had a weapon in his hand," Carlisle said.

"I'm leaving," I screamed. Jasper came up to me, and prevented me from going.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm not going to loose you like we lost Edward," he said in a low deep voice.

"You guys are idiots if you think I'm going to run away. I just want to go for a walk to calm down," I yelled. "I'm not threatening to commit suicide, and I'm not running away and never coming back." I was sobbing and fell down to my knees.

Esme came by my side, and hugged me. And I knew that I didn't want to leave, I was throwing a fit because Edward had left. "I'm sorry mom, I'm just so sad that he's gone," I whispered while crying in her shoulder.

"I know, I am too." Her voice was at the same volume as mine. The doorbell rang, distracting all of us.

"Why don't you go sit down, Alice," Rosalie suggested. "I'll go get the door." For once I didn't argue with her. I wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone.

"Hi Bella," Rosalie said in a fake cheerful voice that fooled Bella.

"Hey Rose, it's been so long. How is everyone?" Bella came in and smiled.

"We are doing very well, thank you. How are you doing dear?" Esme asked.

BPOV

All of the Cullens seemed happy, and I was wondering why Alice had been crying before.

"I'm good, where did Edward go?" I got straight to the point. Alice bit her lip and hesitated.

"He just wanted to get out and be by himself for the break, and we agreed. He'll probably be back soon in a couple of weeks, don't worry about him," Alice giggled.

"Good, I would like to be friends with him again. Maybe a relationship isn't best, but being friends is enough for me."

They all still looked worried. Something was up that they weren't telling me, and it had to do with Edward.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Edward?" I asked them in a worried voice.

"N-nothing's wrong with him, he's completely fine. Just deciding to relax on vacation," Alice said too quickly.

EPOV

I pulled over to the side of the road, took out my knife and admired it.

A few quick hard stabs could just be the end. Unconsciousness was the happiest time of day for me, it was relief. I would never have to think about Bella again, those boys, or my past behavior.

The memory of when I was ten flooded back inside my head. I would wait and see what leaving would do to me. I was lying to myself if I said that it was just the break up that had made me feel suicidal. It was a combination of what had happened when I was younger, the break up, and my idiotic past that I had caused. If leaving made me feel worse, then I always had another option.

Please review. Needless to say, Edward will not be in Forks for a long time. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, I was on vacation, and didn't come back until recently. Enjoy the chapter. And please don't be mad at Alice. **

APOV

**1 month later...**

The whole family was falling to pieces ever since Edward had left. Everyone was quiet, and when we weren't, we yelled at each other. Even I had changed. Rosalie and me never went shopping, and all I did was my homework. My relationship with Jasper was getting shaky, and I didn't know how long it would last.

"I think we should call Edward," Carlisle said calmly to the whole family during dinner. My hand froze over my fork that I was about to pick up. I looked around to see the reactions of everyone else.

Suddenly, everyone was agreeing, and they were smiling for the first time in a month. They looked at me, and saw my furious expression.

"Alice?" Esme asked softly. "What's the problem? Don't you want to see Edward again?"

"Of course," I hissed. "But you're all idiots if you want to call him."

"What do you propose we do?" Jasper asked while glaring at me. I was shocked at his cold tone of voice.

"I don't want to do anything. He's not dead. He specifically said that if he called him, then he would kill himself. If we stick to his terms, then he won't commit suicide."

"And maybe he's already dead," Jasper hissed.

"He's not," I said, furious.

"And how do you know that?" It was unusual to have Esme be angry.

"It would be in the papers. Edward would not go into the woods and bury himself before he committed suicide; he would do it in his car." Rosalie shook her head in disgust.

"How do you know what he would do?" She asked me angrily.

"I know him well, and even though he's suicidal now, he would keep it clean and simple. A few quick stabs to the heart, and that would be the end," I finished in a bored voice.

"Don't," Esme wailed.

"Why shouldn't I?" I yelled. "You're all being idiotic by wanting to call him. Calling his phone would be like murder. He gave us his terms, and we have to follow them," I fumed.

"So you don't want to see him again?" Emmett asked me furiously. Everyone was yelling, and I now had a headache.

"Of course I want to see him again, idiot, but I'd rather I didn't see him, and he stay alive." Rosalie glared.

"Don't ever call Emmett an idiot," she hissed. "You're the idiot. We need to know if he's dead." I laughed bitterly.

"You want to know if he's dead? Wouldn't you rather know if he's alive? What has happened to all of you?! If we call him, then he might die." Why didn't they understand? I wanted to call Edward, too, but for a different reason. I didn't want to beg him to come home, just to hear him reassure me and him tell me that everything would be okay while he was gone.

"He could already be dead," Carlisle said.

"But he's not dead," I yelled.

"What, now you can see the future?" She hissed.

"That's really dumb of you. No one can know what happens in the future, but I just know that he's alive. I can't explain it, but he is alive. And it makes sense too. We haven't called him, and if he sticks to his terms, then he's still alive. I know that he will come back." My family stared at me.

"Maybe we should put off calling him for now," Carlisle said calmly, ending the conversation. I smiled, and Jasper didn't say a word to me. But everyone else at the looked at me, and agreed. I had won this conversation, and no one would be calling him for a while.

"What are you doing Alice? Do you want to kill Edward?" He asked me incredulously. By now, the whole family had left the dinner table. Things were much more calm.

"You're telling me that I'm a murderer?" I whispered. He looked shocked.

"No, of course not. I'm just saying that maybe if we call Edward, and tell him to come back, then he might not kill himself." I was dazed and shocked.

"How could you suggest that I could kill him?" I saw the expression on his face. "Why would you say something like that?" Jasper had said that I could kill Edward, and it sickened me.

"Alice," he protested. "That's not at all what I meant. If we don't call him, then it might be too late." Because of the argument that we were having now, and what had happened at dinner, I started throwing a fit.

"Get out of my life," I screamed at him. "You're an asshole if you're calling me a murderer, and you are. I hate you, never speak to me again!" He grabbed my arm, and I slapped him in the face.

Without another glance, I sprinted up to my room. Once I had entered, I locked the door, and threw myself on my bed while sobbing. How could he be so mean? But now, I was like the rest of them, I wanted to speak to Edward.

My hand automatically reached for my phone. I flipped it open, and pressed the speed dial button that connected to Edward's phone. Before it connected, I snapped it shut. What was I thinking? I couldn't call Edward and risk his life; I had worked so hard at dinner to convince them that it was a bad idea, and now I was the one calling him.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. My phone suddenly rang, and I jumped about half a mile. Who could possibly be calling me? I looked at the caller ID, and saw that it was Bella.

"Hi Bella." I said cheerfully, my voice completely the opposite of how I felt.

"Hi Alice, can I talk to you tomorrow at lunch?" She asked me quickly.

"Um, sure."

"Thanks. That's all I needed to know, bye." Before I could say anything, she hung up. What the hell was that?!

And then I realized; it was about Edward. Edward hadn't been in Forks for a month, not for the two week break, or two weeks in school. I would have to come up with a brilliant excuse. If only Edward had given us an excuse that we could give the whole town about why he had left. This was going to be awful. What could I tell Bella?

Where could Edward have gone where it would seem acceptable to Bella? Hawaii. He had transferred to a school in Hawaii and we had bought an apartment for him there. Now, what was his reason for leaving? There was only one thing that came to my mind, and I would have to hurt Bella so badly, that I didn't know if I could do it. But I would, if it saved my brother's life.

How could I hurt a friend that was so important to me? She hadn't talked to us in a while, but it didn't make any difference, she was still one of my good friends. Eventually it was time to go to bed, and I didn't bother to organize an outfit. I supposed that Jasper was sleeping in a guest room because I would have slapped him again if he had come and slept in the same room as me.

It felt like it had been five minutes since I had gone to sleep, but I reluctantly got up and picked up random clothes from my closet. Jasper didn't say a word to me in the morning, and I ignored him. But then I heard a scream, followed by sobs.

I ran down the stairs and saw Esme over a newspaper. Fear coursed through me, and I ran to her side.

"Mom, is that the New York Times?" I whispered. Esme liked the New York Times, so she had a subscription that was sent all the way to Forks.

"Yes," she whispered weakly. I read over her shoulder a title that was frightening.

"SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD BOY DEAD: MURDER OR SUICIDE?" I swallowed.

"Can I see that?" I asked her quietly. I quickly scanned through the article to see if anything was related to Edward.

"Yesterday, a boy of seventeen years old was found in an alley in New York next to a club. A gun was found next to him, and he had been shot with a bullet in the head. His parents have not been found, so it is believed that he ran away and committed suicide, but suspicion of a murder has not gone away. The gun in question is being tested today for DNA fingerprints to see if it matches the boy's fingerprints. He had nothing on him, and people wonder if he was robbed. The staff was interviewed, and they claim that they saw nothing suspicious. If anyone knows anything about this boy, please call this number: 000-0000. Below is a description of useful information to recognize him.

Height: 5"9

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Dirty Blonde

Length of Hair: Medium

Glasses: Yes

..."

I sighed, and rolled my eyes. Esme was reacting over nothing.

"Esme, this description doesn't fit Edward at all. Edward has green eyes, not brown." Esme sobbed harder.

"It could have been a miss-print," she wailed.

"No, and Edward would never let himself be murdered. Even if someone had a gun, they couldn't kill Edward, he's too smart, and his reflexes are fast. Plus, this boy had blonde hair, and Edward's is reddish-brown."

"That could have been a miss-print too, and Edward could have killed himself with a gun," she protested. How many times would it take to be able to convince her that it wasn't Edward?

"Edward doesn't own a gun, and he wouldn't shoot himself. And Edward is 6"2, not 5"9."

"I'm sorry, anything that mentions suicide makes me think of Edward," she said weakly. I hugged her, and tears came to my eyes as well.

"I know, I feel the same way, but Edward is still alive, I know," I whispered. She nodded slowly, and got up. Carlisle came and kissed her, and I figured that this was my queue to go.

I looked at the time on my phone, and gasped. School had already started. No wonder none of the siblings were here. Shouldn't they have waited for me? Oh, right, Jasper always gave me a ride.

I grabbed the keys to my yellow Porsche, hopped into the car, and sped away. How could I have been so stupid to lose track of time like that? But it had been worth it to comfort Esme. I felt sorry for whoever the boy's parents were. Even if he had committed suicide, or was murdered, he was dead either way. But we were lucky that Edward was still alive.

I had been sitting in my car for five minutes in the school parking lot, and immediately realized that I was even later than before. I ran to the main entrance and to math. Apparently they were taking a test, and I was fifteen minutes late. Fantastic.

Amazingly, I had finished all of the problems on the test, and the teacher was surprised to see it completely filled out.

"Sorry I was late," I murmured.

My classes went by way too fast, and lunch was starting in five minutes. I wasn't looking forward to this at all. I sat next to Rosalie, without looking at Jasper. She looked at me then at Jasper, and wondered what had happened, but didn't comment. Pretty soon, I saw Bella walking up to us, and I groaned internally. Hopefully she didn't care about Edward anymore, it would make this a little less difficult.

"Why is Bella coming over here? She hasn't spoken to us in months?" Rosalie whispered to me.

"No idea," I lied.

"Alice," Bella said. "Could I please talk to you in a private place?" I nodded and left with her.

"How about outside?" She suggested.

"Yes, it's very sunny out today; don't you love sunny days? It's so rare, and Forks looks so beautiful," I said enthusiastically. Okay, Alice, stop with the small talk; it will just make her more suspicious. Bella glared at me, and then sat down on a tree stump. I remained standing to be superior in height.

"Alright Alice, where is Edward?" She demanded. My bottom lip trembled, and Bella noticed.

"Hawaii," I said in a dead voice. She looked taken aback.

"Hawaii?" She echoed blankly. "I don't believe you."

"Why not?" I asked her calmly.

"What's he doing in Hawaii?" She asked me in a commanding voice.

"He transferred schools, he was tired of Forks, and decided to go. We bought him an apartment so that he could live by himself." I smiled and hoped that she would drop it. Because if we continued, I was going to have to hurt her feelings.

"Can you please tell me why he left?"

"Well, he wanted to have more fun, he was getting bored in Forks, and a little annoyed."

"I don't believe you," she hissed. This behavior has completely unlike Bella, and I was starting to get scared. How could I tell her what I was about to tell her without hurting her feelings? "Tell me why he left, there has to be another reason. Something that's more important. Edward would not leave without a logical reason."

"Look, Bella, it's none of your business," I yelled.

"It is my business," she said angrily.

"Fine, he left because of you," I said while trembling. Her face looked blank, and she stopped yelling.

"What did I do?" She whispered.

"He told me not to tell you, yet you insisted. According to him, you were too clingy because you were always staring at him in Biology class. There you go, are you happy that I told you?" I said almost inaudibly.

Bella fell to her knees, and I wanted to kill myself. I bent down to comfort her for something that was a lie.

"I only looked at him a couple of times, but then I switched seats. He's right, I was clingy. I just missed him so much, I couldn't help it," she whispered with no emotion in her voice. I hugged her.

"He's an asshole, Bella, a complete asshole. I never would have expected him to run away because of that."

"No," she disagreed quietly. "He's right, I was too clingy, I would have escaped if I was in his position. Does he still contact you?"

"Yes, we get occasional emails, that's it. He seems to have disconnected from the family," I whispered. "Do you still have his phone number?" I asked her discreetly.

"No, I erased it as soon as I could, and forced myself to forget it." She was staring at a small blade of grass. I sighed internally with relief. Edward was not in danger by her phone calls.

"Bella?" I asked her suddenly.

"Yes?" She tried to say evenly.

"Would you like to come over tonight, and have a, let's forget Edward night, with me and Rosalie. We're sick of him too."

"Yes, I would like that,"

BPOV

I was so relieved that it had been Alice who had told me, and not anyone else from the Cullen family.

But my whole day had become meaningless. Edward was right, and I was dull and ugly. All I could think about was Edward's perfect face with a mocking smile on it. I drove home slowly, and sat for a few minutes in the car.

My homework partially distracted me, and I kept working on it until Charlie came home. I went down the stairs and mumbled a pathetic hello. Charlie was cheerful, and started cooking dinner.

"Um, dad, maybe I should…" Charlie smiled, and just kept stirring.

"Why so glum, Bella?"

"Heard that we had a hard project at school, and I don't know where to start," I lied.

"Well, you always do fine, I'm sure that you can make it. I have some news to announce." I waited for Charlie to continue. Anything to distract me from Edward was welcome.

"Go ahead," I encouraged in a semi-normal voice. Charlie smiled again.

"I'm dating someone Bella. I didn't tell you before, because it wasn't serious at the time, but now it is. Her name is Anita, would you like to meet her?" He asked me. I was shocked. It took me a minute before I could respond.

"S-sure, dad. I would love to," I tried to say enthusiastically.

Almost everyone I knew was in a relationship. It must be me, I was too dull and ugly for someone to notice me. Edward was right, and I was wrong.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

BPOV

Alice had driven me to her house right after school, and Charlie hadn't minded one bit since bad boy Edward Cullen was gone.

"Bella, are you okay?" Alice asked me kindly. She had been so supportive after she had told me about Edward. I was doing my best not to think about it, and my let's forget Edward night was proving to be a success.

"So, Bella, what do you want to do?" Rosalie asked me cheerfully.

"Um, what do you want to do?" I asked her blankly.

"How about a movie?" Alice asked me.

"Sounds good," I said happily. They were both being so nice to me.

"I'll go get one, is there any particular one that you want?" She asked curiously.

"Can we avoid romance? Anything else is fine," I said hesitantly. Alice gave a radiant smile.

"Of course. Do you want to see a Harry Potter movie?" I had never seen them, but I had heard that the fifth one was good.

"Sure, do you have the fifth one?"

"Yes, that's my favorite. Is Harry Potter okay?"

"Yep," Rosalie said. "Bella, while you're waiting, why don't you pick out a room to sleep in, your things are by the foot of the stairs."

"Thanks Alice," I said quietly. Whether I liked it or not, the first room that popped into my head was Edward's, and the decision was already made to sleep there.

I bent down to pick up my bag, and went up the stairs as fast as I could. What would going in his room be like?

I slowly opened the door, and stared at the dusty room. It wasn't at all how I remembered, and I went to the bed and sat on it. There was a clean set of sheets that was folded, but it was a beautiful orange color, but Edward's sheets were usually dark blue.

I slowly made the bed, and then got ready in his huge bathroom. Like the room, the bathroom was dusty, but otherwise clean. However, something was strange. Edward's toothbrush and clothes were still present in the room.

I had been snoopy, and opened his clothes drawers. It had just seemed like he had left in a hurry. I didn't question Alice's reason for his leaving; it made perfect sense that he would buy clothes once he got to Hawaii.

"Bella, have you picked out a room?" Alice called to me from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, Alice," I said loudly.

I heard previews starting, and I gave Edward's room one last glance before I closed the door quietly behind me. Alice greeted me with a smile.

"Which room did you pick?"

"I, um," I said uncomfortably. "It's um...can we start the movie?" I asked her desperately. She gave me a strange look but put it on.

I had followed the movie, but I was extremely tired now, and we all agreed to go to bed. Once I got up to Edward's room, I took one last look before I fell asleep.

It was funny; I was on the beach with perfect weather, and in Hawaii. Then, I froze, this couldn't be good. Why was I here? Edward had gone away so that he wouldn't have to see me anymore, and I didn't understand what I was doing. I tried to walk forward, but a glass wall prevented me from walking on the soft sand.

But that's when I saw him. Edward Cullen was on the beach, kissing a blonde, the one that I could picture him with. I tried to call to him, but he couldn't hear me; I was invisible to him. The most beautiful person in the world was so close to me, and I couldn't even speak one word to him.

"Edward!" I yelled, trying again. He detached himself from the blonde, but then he saw me. A door suddenly appeared in the wall, and he opened it and locked it behind him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked me angrily. That was the very question that I had been asking myself.

"Does it matter?" I whispered.

"Of course it does, idiot! I came here to get away from you, and now you're stalking me."

"Edward," I whispered. "I didn't mean to come here, I just woke up." He glared.

"Do I look stupid to you?" He asked me coldly.

"No Edward, of course not," I said quickly.

"How are you?" I asked him shakily.

"Wonderful. The girls here are amazing, much better than you. You're not good enough for me Bella." He was enjoying the look on my face.

"Don't say that, Edward. I know I'm dull and ugly, but it hurts coming from you," I whimpered. I turned my head and saw a ghost of Edward who was carrying a knife. The real Edward next to me got scared.

"Go Bella, you have to go," he urged me. I stayed planted between him and his ghost.

"He's coming for me, Bella. I can't do anything about it, it's inevitable." Edward was looking vulnerable, more vulnerable than I had ever seen him.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you," I said firmly. Edward shoved me behind him and turned to fight his own ghost.

"No Edward!" I screamed.

I woke up panting, and sweat was running down my face. What had Edward been doing? Why did his ghost have a knife in his hand? I was a fool, anyway. The ghost was probably to kill me, to get rid of me. It would help Edward if I was gone permanently. But the ghost hadn't been paying any attention to me; it was just going towards Edward, not even looking at me.

EPOV

I had the blade pointed to my neck, and small beads of blood were running down it. Would my heart be better? No! I couldn't do it, not now. Whenever I thought about Bella, it's what stopped me. I needed to speak to her, just to hear her voice.

I dropped the knife and it landed with a soft thud on the passenger seat. I drove around until I could find a payphone. I brought several quarters with me, and slipped them in the phone, and dialed her cell phone number without thinking about it. This could be the stupidest thing I had ever done in my life. If she rejected me, then that would be the end; I would have to end myself.

The phone was ringing, and as soon as I heard her beautiful voice, I hung up. I didn't want to know if she would reject me, so I just ended it. But hearing her voice was what had just saved me. I was on the point of dying, but now I wanted to live, for now anyway.

I was in Massachusetts, and going to Boston. I had only been here once, but I didn't want to be on the west coast.

BPOV

My phone rang. Who would call me this late at night? Alice and Rosalie were probably sleeping, and Emmett and Jasper were out somewhere.

"Hello?" I heard a sigh, and then the call was ended. What had just happened? It must have been a wrong number.

I settled back into Edward's bed, and tears were streaming down my cheeks. I turned the lamp on the bed side table on, and opened the small drawer. What provoked me to open it, I had no idea, but I found a CD in it that made me gasp.

"For My Bella," was written on it, and a letter was attached to the case that dated from two months ago.

_Bella,_

_I wanted to give you a collection of my songs that I composed on the piano. Your lullaby is the first one, and I hope you like it. I'm sorry I never got to play it for you on the piano. Please know that I will always love you no matter what I say. You have helped me so much through listening, and making me happier. I will forever be there for you, and protect you like I said before. _

_I love you,_

_Edward_

I paused at the words I love you, and didn't believe a word of the letter now. He might have meant it when he wrote it, but he didn't anymore.

"Liar," I whispered. Regardless, I put the CD into the stereo, and listened to my lullaby. It was the most beautiful song that I had ever heard, and I wanted a way to thank him, but I couldn't. The first song had ended, and I listened to the rest.

"You don't love me anymore, Edward, but I still do," I said in the same volume as before.

I took the CD out, and put it back in its case, along with the letter. Alice and Rosalie were coming up the stairs, and I tried to turn off the light before they came in, but it was too late.

"Bella?" Alice looked at me, surprised.

"Hi Alice," I said innocently. Rosalie stared at me, and spoke.

"We just thought that maybe, that..." They seemed at a loss for words.

"Are you hungry Bella?" Alice asked me quickly, exchanging a quick glance with Rosalie. I wondered what they were so shaken up about.

"Yes, but did I wake you up? I'm really sorry if I did..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"No, not at all," Alice said calmly. "We just saw a light up in Edward's room, and were surprised that you were in there, so we came up to see if everything was okay."

"Oh, thank you," I said.

"No problem, let's go get breakfast," Rosalie said cheerfully.

"Where are the boys?" I asked them.

"Oh," Rosalie hesitated. "They're hanging out with friends, so we figured that tonight was a great night to have a sleepover, but it's morning now!"

"Yes, I'm really enjoying myself."

"Good, we're glad that you are. Thanks for coming over, Bella, do you want a makeover?" Alice asked me enthusiastically. I smiled for the first time in a while.

"Why not?" I sighed. She squealed and ran down to the kitchen to make bacon and eggs. Rosalie followed looking just as excited. I didn't think that I could go down as fast as they did, I might trip.

"Bella, do you think that you can go any slower?" Alice teased me.

"I don't know Alice, but I hope that you won't burn the kitchen down because Edward told me..." I trailed off. Thinking about Edward pierced my heart with sadness.

Rosalie ran back up, and put her arm around me. "We all miss him Bella, but yesterday and today are to forget about him. It's too early in the morning to think about Edward," she whispered. "And do you want to know something else?"

"What?" I asked her curiously.

"Alice did almost burn the kitchen down, so I always supervise her when she cooks. The food is good, but she has a tendency to make mistakes." I laughed quietly and followed Rosalie down the stairs.

"You okay, Bella?" I ignored Alice's question, and stared at the temperature that she had set to cook the eggs.

"Alice," I yelped. The eggs weren't even in the pan, and it was starting to steam, a lot.

"What's wrong?" She asked me urgently.

"The pan, the temperature is too high!"

"Why is that bad? I always put it this high, and I wait for about ten minutes," she said calmly.

"Ten minutes? Alice, doesn't Rosalie supervise you in the kitchen?" Alice glared at Rosalie.

"Alice puts the temperature this high when no one watches her," Rosalie sighed.

"Do you want me to cook?" I asked Alice.

"Of course not, you were invited, guests don't cook." She looked at me like I was stupid. It was the same look that Edward often...I needed to stop thinking about him.

"Let Rosalie help, at least," I suggested.

"Let me help," Emmett boomed from the front door. I giggled as Rosalie ran away from us.

"Stupid love bugs," Alice muttered.

"Where's Jasper?" I asked her curiously. She suddenly looked sad, and I didn't know what was going on.

"Don't even remind me about him," she whispered. Okay then. Something had happened between them.

"You can cook Emmett?" I called. He gave me a huge smile as he came in holding Rosalie bridal style.

"Of course! I'm a gourmet chef. Alice is the worst cook that we have in the house!" I laughed.

"I'm better than you Emmett. I almost burned the kitchen once, you almost burned it twice. Let's not exaggerate here." She was irritated, but I could see a smile on her face.

"Sorry, Emmett," Rosalie said regretfully. "But Alice is more careful. You're food is good, though."

"Really?" He asked her, surprised. "No one seems to like my food. They never even taste it."

"Make us something. I want to taste your cooking," I told him enthusiastically.

"Yeah, Ed," he stopped his sentence before continuing. "Esme always wanted me to cook something, just to see if I was any good. He...I mean, she smirked at my talent. But now I will prove that I'm better than Alice, I'm going to make pancakes," he announced the last part proudly.

"Go Emmett!" Everyone said loudly in unison. So it was a competition between Alice and Emmett. Rosalie and I always went up to help them to avoid burning the house down. It was actually hard to tell, because both Emmett and Alice's food was delicious.

"Thank you Alice, and Emmett," I said. "This is delicious."

"What can I say? I'm the best chef around here. We have to keep some of these to show mom and dad our talents. Even though your food isn't as good as mine, Alice, you should still give it to them so that they can taste it." Alice playfully smacked Emmett on the arm.

"They will be the real judges, save some of yours too. We'll see who wins," she smiled devilishly. "And it will be me."

"Whatever little sister, but I will be the winner."

They stopped arguing after a while, and too soon, it was time for me to go home. Alice had been able to give me a makeover before I had left, and then she drove me home.

Charlie greeted me, and I saw a new person sitting on the couch. I looked questioningly at Charlie, waiting to see if he would introduce me.

"Anita, this is Bella. Bella, Anita," he said, smiling.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Bella, your father has told me so much about you," Anita said sincerely. I smiled at her, though the smile was fake. Seeing my father in love was making me remember my relationship with Edward.

"I'm glad to meet you too, Anita," I said awkwardly. What was I supposed to say? Charlie gave me a look. Anita didn't seem to notice, and she probably already thought that I was a fool anyway, so it didn't matter.

"Where do you work?" I blurted out. Would she feel offended that I had asked a personal question like that, like I was judging her? I couldn't care less what she did for a living; I was just trying to start a conversation. But Anita smiled.

"I'm a pediatrician, and I love helping people." That was a very brief answer, but I kept trying.

"Even though you love children, what made you decide to go to medical school?"

"Well, I had a class in school that taught us all about the human body, and how it worked. I wanted to help people if I ever got enough knowledge, so I got an internship in a pediatrician's office, and loved it. What do you want to do when you graduate from school?" She asked me curiously.

"I'm not exactly sure," I responded as normally as I could despite my nervous state. "I'm still looking at all of my options." After I finished, I tried to give her a smile.

"So Charlie, why did you decide to become police chief of Forks?" He looked uncomfortable, and I sighed.

"I wanted to prevent crimes," he mumbled. Anita chuckled, and I laughed along with her.

"Good answer, dad."

The rest of the afternoon was pleasant, me and Anita talking about our interests, and Charlie getting more comfortable with the conversation.

But there was always that feeling of sadness that I couldn't ignore. Charlie had never gotten over my mother until now, and he was only a year older than me when he had married her. Would that be me? Would I be crying for years over him? It didn't make any sense; I had only been with him for a little over two months. Why should I be sad over a short relationship like that?

EPOV

I was going home when summer break started, but I wouldn't call my family. Would I commit suicide if one of them called me? To that question, I had no idea. But leaving had been the right thing, it was better to get out of Forks. Yes, I was going home in a month. And if they hated me, and didn't want me anymore, then I would live somewhere else. But I was recovering from what had happened.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

3 weeks later...(Monday)

BPOV

Exams were coming up, and I was studying non stop, which was a good thing since it distracted me from Edward. Today was the review day for the Biology exam. I still sat next to Will, despite Edward's absence.

"Bella, can I ask you something?" He whispered, so the teacher wouldn't hear anything.

"Yeah?" I wasn't really paying attention to the teacher because I had spent hours studying the material.

"Would you be willing to go with me somewhere Saturday, to celebrate the end of the school year?" I smiled slightly.

"Yes, that would be nice, where are we going, a restaurant?" Will smiled.

"No, but there will be food. How about a club in Seattle?" No, it was too dangerous. For someone like Edward who could defend himself it was fine, but if a person tried to attack me, then they would succeed.

"Will, I hate to say this, but I'm very nervous around drunk people, and I..." He put his index finger to my lips while the teacher's back was turned. I shivered slightly; I hadn't been touched by a boy in a while. Will didn't seem to notice my response.

"I will defend you. Besides, people don't necesarilly get drunk, there will be alcohol, but no reason to panick. Have you ever been to a club?"

"No."

"You should try it, clubs are fun; you dance around, and socialize." I didn't particularly want to socialize with a strange man who randomly came up to me, but why not with Will? Will said that he would defend me, so there was no problem.

Was there maybe some part of my subconsious mind that wanted to go just to see if Edward was there?

"So Bella, do you want to go with me?" His eyes were bright, and I said yes.

"Yes."

EPOV

I was going home in a week; the thought of seeing my family was strange, and I didn't know how they would accept me. But before I went home, there was one thing I was going to do on Saturday.

I was going to go to a club in Seattle, just to relax. My parents wouldn't be able to bother me, and I would be in a much better mood when I went home.

BPOV

Exams were over, and school was out! Agreeing to go with Will to a club was probably the stupidest decision I had ever made in my life, stupider than agreeing to go anywhere with Edward when I hadn't known him.

I had no intention of telling my father where I was going for two reasons. One, Will would most likely get into trouble, and two, I didn't want him to prevent me from going.

Will had made me a fake ID to get in, and we were all set to go tomorrow. All I brought with me was house keys, a cell phone, and fourty dollars. Will had told me that he had more money, so bringing more would have been a waste in case I lost it.

I called Alice to make plans after I came back.

"Hello?" She asked over the phone.

"Alice, hi," I said. "Do you want to go anywhere on Tuesday?"

"Yes, of course. Would you like to go to Los Angeles?" She chirped.

"That might be slightly expensive, so we could just go to a restaurant," I suggested.

"If you want to," she said hesitantly. If I live to tell the tale, I thought. Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! I shouldn't have agreed to go, but the decision was already made, and I wanted to at the same time.

"Yes, then we could go do something after that, and then..." I was cut off.

"Bella, I haven't been shopping in a while, and I need a partner. Could we please go to LA?" She begged me.

"Fine," I sighed. It was true that I would probably have more fun going to LA than a restaurant.

"Thank you, Bella," she squealed. "And you need a makeover before we leave." I sighed again.

"Whatever makes you happy, Alice."

"See you Tuesday, Bella! Do you want to go somewhere tomorrow too?" She asked curiously.

"I'm actually going out with Will, so I won't be available," I mumbled.

"Oh well, so we're definetely on for Tuesday?" She confirmed, but seemed suspicious at the same time.

"Of course."

"We'll have to leave early in the morning, and we'll take the Porsche. Bye Bella," she said happily.

"Bye Alice," I said quietly before hanging up.

I slept uneasily that night, but still got ten hours of sleep. It would have been better to get more, but it was impossible. We were leaving at around four pm, so I would have enough time to eat lunch with Charlie and Anita.

"Hi Dad," I said groggily at around ten in the morning.

"Bells, you look a little shaken up, is everything okay?" He asked me, concerned.

"Of course, I'm just going out with Will, did I tell you about him?" I asked him lazily.

"Um, not really...he's the new boy, right?" I smiled.

"A couple months old, but otherwise new." Charlie smiled in response. He seemed so much happier these days.

"Good, where are you going?" He asked me. I hoped that my awful lying skills would not betray me.

"His house, we're just hanging out. He's coming around four to pick me up."

"I'm glad Bella, you've looked a little sad these days, is there a problem?" I motioned my father forward.

"Dad," I whispered. "Not now, there's nothing wrong, but for future reference, let's not talk about my problems in front of Anita."

"Sorry, Bells." He chuckled slightly.

"Hi Anita," I said as I entered the living room. She smiled radiantly, and kissed Charlie on the cheek.

I froze, and stared at both of them. I hadn't seen a kiss in a long time, not even a quick peck. Rosalie and Emmett had kissed, but it was out of my view.

"Hello Bella," she said cautiously. I must have looked like a moron, just standing there, and staring at them. Charlie gave me a look.

"I think I'm going to go to my room; I'm not feeling well," I mumbled. Anita looked confused, and I heard them whispering.

"Did I do something, Charlie?" She asked him nervously.

"No, she told me that she felt sick before," he said, covering for me. I exhaled, and went to take a nap.

A stupid vibrating sound woke me up from my nap. Apparently, Will was calling me.

"Hello?" I asked groggily.

"I'm coming over in fifteen minutes Bella, see you then."

"Bye," I muttered after he had hung up. Fifteen minutes. I went down the stairs to see how Charlie and Anita were doing.

"Bells!" Charlie said happily.

"Sorry, fell asleep. Will just called, and said that he's picking me up in fifteen minutes. Is that okay?"

"Of course, when will you be back?" He asked me in a serious tone.

"I'm going to spend the night, and I'll be back by around eight at night tomorrow," I said while making up a random schedule.

"Good, have fun Bella," he said cheerfully.

"I'm sure I will."

"Bye Bella," Anita said. I heard a car door slam, and a minute later, the doorbell rang.

"Bye Anita, bye Charlie!"

I quickly opened the door, and Will was smiling. "Ready to go Bella?"

"Would you like to meet my father and his girlfriend first?" I asked him in a hesitant voice.

"Of course," he said without a pause.

"Dad, Anita, I would like you to meet Will," I introduced him. Charlie got up, and shook hands with Will.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Will said politely.

"You too, Will. And this is Anita," Charlie said. Anita smiled at Will.

"Hello Will," she said.

"Hello, Anita." Charlie talked to Will for about ten minutes about random things, and then we finally left.

"Your dad is nice," Will commented. I wasn't sure if this was sarcasm, so I let it drop.

"Will..."

"Yes?"

"I'm not really sure if we should do this, I'm getting a bad feeling about it." Will smiled kindly.

"Bella, it's okay. I told you that you would be safe; I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." I had known Will for a couple of months now, and I trusted him. Besides, it might be a new experience to see if I wanted to go when I was older.

"Alright, I believe you," I sighed.

"Good." I was stupid.

Will had kept up conversation with me all throughout the drive about books, CDs, movies, and various other things.

I must have fallen asleep once we arrived, because it was around 8:30, the time when we were supposed to get a hotel room.

"Have you already reserved a room?" I asked Will, tired.

"Yeah, at the nearest Hilton hotel. They only gave me one key, would you like to keep it?" I thought about it for a minute, then laughed.

"I would probably lose it, so why don't you keep it." He laughed along with me.

"Good idea, the hotel is 45 minutes away from the club, what time do you want to leave?"

"I don't know, around midnight," I said. He stared at me like I was crazy.

"Bella, I usually stay around two or three, usually three," he said matter of factly.

"Oh, that's fine, I got a fair amount of sleep," I said reluctantly. "What time are we arriving there?"

"Eleven," I heard him say simply. Three or four hours of clubbing? Was he serious? I was going to get so bored. But he had invited me, and I was going to deal with it somehow.

Time was flying by, and pretty soon it was 10:15. We got into the car, and Will started speeding.

"Will," I said nervously. "Could you please slow down?" He didn't say anything, but the speed went down.

"Thanks." I breathed steadily in and out to relax myself. The drive was over too soon, and we got into the club without a problem.

"I don't look twenty-one," I told Will, confused. "Even with my fake ID, no one would fall for that."

"You're very pretty, and there were men checking the Ids, not women," he said simply.

"Oh. But they were barely looking, that could have been part of it, too," I suggested. He sighed, and shook his head.

The club was very crowded, and the smell of sweat was present. After being five minutes in the stuffy building, I was abruptly exhausted. Just three more hours, and I would be free. Three hours? How was I going to live through three hours?

"Bella?" Will inetrrupted my train of thought.

"Yeah," I said curiously.

"I'm going to the bathroom really quick, just stay right here, and I'll come back, okay?" He asked, just to make sure I was alright.

"Okay," I said unenthusiastically.

I didn't really like the two men who were staring at me, so I just prayed that he would hurry up.

45 minutes later...

Will still hadn't come back, and I was freaked out. Had he fell in the toilet bowl or something?

"Hello honey," said a voice that I didn't recognize. This was not good at all. I turned around and saw one of the men who had been staring at me. They had to be at least fourty years old, and one started massaging my shoulders. I slapped his hands away.

"Aren't we grouchy today?" The second one asked me.

"Keep your hands to yourself," I retorted, running to the girls' bathroom. I didn't care if I looked desperate, I just needed to get away from the two men and find Will.

When I enterred the bathroom, I witnessed a sight that shocked me. At least four couples were making out. I opened the door to the nearest available stall and locked myself in. How could I find Will without those creepy men following me? I would just have to walk around all over the place.

How did Edward stand places like these? It was beyond my comprehension. I suddenly spotted Will with a least five girls surrounding him, and four boys.

"Will," I said firmly to him. "Can I talk to you?"

"Welcome to the club Bella," he slurred. Oh. My. God. He was drunk, completely drunk. This was not good. He had given me all that crap about how he would protect me.

"No, Will, I would like the hotel keys, and car keys," I said in the same firm tone.

"No," he said stubbornely. I rarely resorted to begging, but I had to now.

"Please Will," I pleaded.

"Get away from me bella, or else I'll hit you," he threatened darkly. This could not be happening. The boys and girls that were surrounding him placed themselves infront of him.

"Leave," a tough boy about my age said. I didn't want to mess with him, because none of these faces here seemed nice. Without another word, I went back to the girls' bathroom. What could I do?

I wouldn't even be able to find the hotel since it was 45 minutes away by car; I couldn't imagine the walking distance. If I somehow got Will into the car with me, then I could drive, but that was proving to be impossible with his bodyguards. Going outside was stupid, I didn't know if there were worse people there. I only had forty dollars, not nearly enough for a cab, or a bus. Without a hotel key, it would be complicated to get in the room.

The only logical solution now was to call Charlie. Call Charlie. I would be in so much trouble, but I didn't care. He would get here in four hours and a half, and god knows where I would be by then, or what would happen to me. The Cullens' however might be able to help, they drove much faster, and probably wouldn't yell at me, Alice especially. But did I really want to bother her?

The reception in this place was so bad that I couldn't make a call, I would have to go outside. Would the club allow me to come back inside? I doubted it, and I should save my money. So I went towards the exit.

I was about half way towards it, when an awful sight greeted me. Edward Cullen. He was kissing a blonde, like the one in the dream. But this was no nightmare, it was real. I sobbed, and he heard me immediately.

He looked up, and his eyes were full of grief. "Edward." I whispered while sobbing.

"Bella," he called. I ignored him and ran out the exit with as much speed as I had. Once I was outside, I breathed the fresh air . It wasn't really fresh air, but it was better than the sweaty smell inside.

"Isabella," a sickening voice called. Only one person was allowed to call me Isabella, and it wasn't this voice, not even close.

"David," I whispered to myself. I turned around to face him.

"What do you want?" I asked him harshly, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. This was it, there was no one that I could call for help. It was pointless, but I would call Alice or Charlie right now in case I survived this. I speed dialed Charlie, but David's hand took my phone abruptly away, and he smashed it to the ground. He smiled wickedly

"Isabella, you know exactly what I want, and you're crying; I can cheer you up." The only thing that kept me from falling down on my knees and begging was concentrating on what I had to say, if I was going to get raped, then I would try to last as long as I could.

"Don't even bother running, I'll just catch you. It's a shame that it has to come to force, you know." I ignored him.

"David," I sighed, trying to keep a normal tone of voice. "Can we do this some other night? I'll give you everything you want, just not tonight." He snickered.

"You must think I'm an idiot then, to expect me to give up so soon," he said, enjoying the moment.

"No, David, I would never think that you're an idiot, I just don't want to do it tonight. We can do it Monday, I won't be doing anything then, and," he cut off my babbling. The longer I kept him talking, the longer I could think.

"Could we stop with all of the small talk, and get on with it?" I glared at him.

"I don't want to do it, if you would just let me decide the time, then I promise, I will give you everything you want." I would tell Charlie what was happening, and he would take care of it.

"Isabella, the first thing you would do when you got home would be to tell your father everything that had happened tonight," he shook his head sadly.

"No, I wouldn't. What if I told you that the first thing I wanted to do was to have sex with you when we got home. Wouldn't it be better if I agreed to be your girlfriend, if..."

"If?" He asked me curiously. Why on earth was I in Seattle at a club? I was stupid, a moron.

"Sorry, Isabella, I want to do it tonight. You're not going to give me anything willingly, I can see it in your eyes," he accused. Really? I thought that I had been doing a pretty good job lying so far.

"You won't be able to do it David, I know a lot of self defense," I lied. He would see right through what I had said.

David smirked. "If you weren't lying, then it wouldn't matter one way or another. I have taken plenty of self defense courses and know a fair amount of attack moves. I'm stronger than you, you wouldn't have a chance if you were against me." He walked towards me, and I backed into a corner. Oops. He was so close that I didn't have a chance of escaping.

"David, we have plenty of time ahead of us, it's summer break. I usually work very hard during the school year, so I won't be busy at all now. Let's postpone this. Isn't that a good idea?"

"Let's not." I shivered as his hands grabbed my wrists. I used all of the force that I had to slap him in the face, but all it did was make him tighten his grip so hardly, that it broke my right wrist.

I gasped, and tears streamed down my face. "Not pleasant is it; not following the rules?" He asked me darkly.

"Please David, tomorrow, or the day after, anything you want," I begged. So far, I hadn't been weak, but now my voice was pathetic.

"I don't think so," He whispered against my cheek.

"David," a different voice called. It was the voice of Edward Cullen, and it was deadly.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer. **

Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen. This was awful; Edward hated me, why was he here? And then the awful truth dawned on me; he was here to help David or watch at the very least.

David's lips had been half a centimeter from mine, and he glared as he turned around.

"Cullen," he yelled, since Edward was still in the shadows. I desperately wanted to see his face, but it was too dark from where I was standing.

"Yes, I figured I would join the party," he said easily, completely relaxed. No!

"So what are you going to do Cullen, help or watch?" David turned to smirk at me.

"I think I'll help," Edward said calmly. This could not be happening. It was bad enough if he was watching, but if he helped...I couldn't even bear the thought. "But first I need to talk to her. Give a prologue, if you know what I mean."

His expression was no longer peaceful, but deep in thought. His eyes flickered to mine very quickly, then back to David. The look in his eyes wasn't devislish, but menacing. I shivered, and David was watching Edward.

"What are you thinking about Cullen; what you're planning on telling her?" David asked him, while he was smirking at me.

"Cullen is very nice to the girls. He plays with his food before he eats," he said wickedly.

No, Edward didn't do that, he wouldn't. Even though he hated me, he wouldn't help David, would he? But he had just said that he would.

I looked around to find some way to escape. Even if I tripped, I would still run as fast as I could. But Edward was extremely fast, and I didn't doubt that he would be able to catch me. And there was another problem, David and Edward were almost, if not, full grown. To have two boys much stronger and taller than you posed some problems. So that was it then, I didn't have a choice, I was going to get raped or killed.

"Yes," Edward said, answering David's question. "I'm going to tell her what I'm planning." I shuddered. Planning?

"So when do you want to talk to her, Cullen?" Edward paused before he answered.

"Right now, that would probably be best," he said calmly. David made a hissing sound.

"Go ahead, but hurry up," he said, irritated. Honestly, if I wanted to be raped by either Edward or David, I would prefer David; I still couldn't bear the thought of Edward raping me, but I didn't have much choice between either of them.

Edward walked up to me, and simply stared. His face was expressionless. Wordlessly, he slipped his hands under my shirt, and they glided up my back, to my bra clasp.

David had already opened it, and pulled the bra straps off my shoulders. My guess was that Edward was going to take it off completely. But he did something that surprised me.

He took both ends of the clasp, and hooked them back together. Tears were streaming down my face.

"Please Edward," I pleaded. "Don't help him, you can watch, just don't help. Please." One of his hands slid back down and came out from under my shirt. I looked up at him. He put his index finger to my lips, and then his hand slipped back up my shirt again.

And I obeyed him. What was the point of arguing now? It didn't matter anymore. He was going to get what he wanted.

But instead of taking the straps down further, his hands pulled them back up onto my shoulders. He ran his fingers under them, not going anywhere close to the place I expected, but instead, to make sure that everything was okay.

He slid his hands down, and they were finally away from my bra. Wordlessly, he smoothed out my collar, and then the bottom of my shirt.

"Is that better?" He whispered.

"Yes, but what are you doing? If you're going to rape me shouldn't you finish David's work, you just said that you would help," I said quietly. Good going Bella, you're giving him tips on how to rape you. Wow, I was getting stupider by the second.

"I would never rape you, Bella," he murmured. "And I did say that I would help, I never specifically said who. Did you really think that I was going to help him? And what I'm planning for is a way to keep you safe."

"Are you sure?" I asked him doubfully. "Why have you come back from Hawaii? Who was that blonde girl that you were kissing? And I'm sorry I was clingy," I whispered, apologizing.

"Later," he said. "I don't have much time, and I have to tell you what I'm going to do, and what you have to do." The look on his face held no traces of humor; he looked deep in thought again.

"I'm going to fight him, and there are a couple of things that you need to do for me." His voice was tense. What could he possibly want me to do? Was I going to fight alongside him?

"Can't you reason with him?" But I already knew the answer, it was no.

"He wouldn't listen. Get into a sitting position right here in this corner. As soon as I'm done speaking to you, don't speak, or move," he said seriously. "Even if he threatens you with death, don't do anything."

"Okay," I said weakly. His face now held no emotion whatsoever. "What's wrong Edward?" He didn't answer right away and stared into my eyes. Everytime he looked at me that intensly, his green gaze always pierced through me.

"If I die, or I have fainted, you go to your right, and run down that road. I don't care if you trip, just get back onto your feet and run, it will bring you to the main road, and he probably won't bother you anymore in a public place. You are not to worry about me, don't hesitate, just run." His voice had no volume, and was flat.

"What do you mean, if you die?" I whispered, shocked. Surely Edward was much stronger than David.

"I don't think I will, but if I do, run. I'm stronger than him, so it's not likely, but there is always a possibility," he murmured. All I could do was stare at him. For someone who hated me, it seemed very strange that he was risking his life.

"Don't do this Edward, don't risk your life if there's a possibility that you might die. I'm begging, don't protect me. Please," I begged him desperately.

"I could have almost died in the months that have passed, so what's the difference?" I didn't understand what he was saying.

"What are you talking about? You went to Hawaii, and..." He cut me off.

"Later," he said again. "Can I kill him?"

"What?" I gasped. "No, you'll go to jail for the rest of your life."

"It would be worth it," he muttered. "Fine, if you won't let me kill him, then I'll keep giving him injuries until he's unconsious."

"No Edward!" He put his index finger to my lips again.

"Run, if I die," he whispered.

"Be careful, Edward, please."

"Once he's a foot away from you, I'll start fighting him. If you hear me scream, then just wait till I die or faint, don't leave a minute sooner." He looked sad. Why was he risking his life for me?

"I need to know one more thing, what did he do to you?" Edward demanded, but quietly.

"He whispered near my cheek, but that's not bad, and he did undo my bra," I said, remembering. Edward glared.

"What else?" He hissed. I didn't understand his rage; why was he being so...protective?

"Nothing," I said quickly. If Edward knew about my broken wrist, then he might get even madder than he was.

Edward looked at my right arm, then at my wrist which was limp. "He broke it, didn't he?" He said darkly. "I'm going to break and dislocate his jaw, break his right arm and wrist."

"No," I gasped. "Edward, you'll get into so much trouble. He's not worth it," I said. And even more quietly, I added, "I'm not worth it." His eyes blazed with fury; I had never seen him look so dangerous.

"And a blow to the chest, but not too hard, or it might kill him," he said mostly to himself. Then he stared at me. "What do you mean you're not worth it?" He glared at me.

"I..." I started to say.

"Never mind, I'll answer all of your questions later, we don't have time," he whispered. And before he left, he kissed my forehead. I stared at him, and he turned his head away.

"You almost done, Cullen?" David shouted.

"I'm done, David!" He called. Edward forced a smirk, and went to stand farther away. David came over, and smiled evily at me.

"Ready, Isabella?" He stared at my shirt which was much more smooth now.

"What did Cullen do?" He said to himself. "Guess he gave me the chance to start over, how kind of him. But you look a little shaken, so I guess it's time to give you what you want," he said mockingly.

I didn't say anything, and despite Edward's presence, I was still terrified. Was Edward really serious about helping me, or was that a lie?

EPOV

I walked away, and it took all I had not to pull off David even though he was three feet away from her.

One more foot, and he was gone; half a foot. He was now a foot away from her, and I walked silently over to where he was, and punched him in the face. My fist flew about a centimeter away from Bella's face, and David staggered; I had been hoping that he would have fallen to the ground.

"Sit," I whispered to Bella, while David was still recovering from the blow. I placed myself between them, and David glared at me.

"What the fuck was that for?" David yelled.

"I'm going to help," I said icily.

"You already helped, you didn't have to punch me and practically break my nose to want to help again," he growled.

"I never said that I was going to help you, David. Did you just expect me to sit and watch while you raped a girl?" I asked him.

"I see how you look at her, you love her. It's so obvious; I wonder why I didn't see it before, how upset are you going to be when your girlfriend is dead?" He asked me mockingly.

"She's not going to die," I hissed.

"She will when you're dead." I punched him in the nose, and broke it. He just laughed, while blood was gushing out.

"Is that the best you can do, Cullen? Punch someone. Your punches are weak, you could do so much better." He was exactly right, I wasn't usually violent, but I had to be now.

While I was thinking, I saw his foot collide with my side, and I fell on the ground. I didn't know what he had done to me, but I was unable to get up. He had at least twisted my ankle, preventing me from moving, and by landing akwardly on my arm, it was broken.

"You're going to die Cullen," he shouted. "And Isabella, what are you going to do when Eddie is dead?"

I looked at Bella, and she was shaking. David briefly nudged my broken arm, and I could see my fist thightening in response.

"Fuck you David," was all I could say without screaming. "You won't hurt her."

"Oh, I will, Edward, watch me." Before I could move, he dashed off, and went right up to Bella.

"You see, Isabella, I'm about to demonstrate what's going to happen when Edward is dead, but this will be minor compared to what's coming," he cackled. I tried to move, but it wasn't working. He was going to hurt Bella, and there was nothing I could do about it, just watch.

He took her lower arm, and snapped it. She screamed, and he ran back to me. I cringed because of the pain, and hearing her scream in agony.

"I've always felt inferior to you, Cullen, but now that's going to change, because you'll be dead. Do you see how it feels to be weaker than someone else?" And he lifted his foot to break my neck, which would kill me.

In a very fast movement, I caught his foot with my hand, and twisted it. He fell on the ground, and I stepped on his leg so hard, that it broke.

Slowly, I pulled myself up, and stared at his broken leg. He was screaming in pain, and with each breath that I took, I had to resist the pain.

"What the hell, Cullen?" He shrieked.

"You tried to kill me, David, do you think I want to die?" I smiled a little to myself, remembering these past few months.

"You deserve it," he said.

"Your voice is annoying me," I told him simply. I bent down, and didn't hesitate before punching him in the jaw. I saw that I had broken and dislocated it.

"For Bella," I whispered, as I broke his arm and wrist. Miraculously, he still got up, and punched me again, probably cracking a couple of my ribs.

"Would you stop," I yelled.

But then he collapsed, and his eyes were closed. I got up, and moved his head with my foot. Nothing. He was still breathing, but needed to get to the emergency room.

I sprinted towards Bella, but tripped two feet from her, and landed on my broken arm. She took my hand.

"Fuck it," I muttered.

"Edward, are you okay?" She asked me, sobbing.

"Better than him," I muttered again, staring at David.

"What did you do to him?" She gasped.

"We'll talk about it later, do you have my phone?" I distincitly remembered having given it to her before the fight.

"Right here," she whispered. I called 911, and told them where to come.

"Why are you calling the police, shouldn't we get out of here?" She whispered frantically.

"If we run, then I'll be in even more trouble. They will catch me," I whispered.

BPOV

"What could they possibly use against you?" I demanded. "You've done nothing wrong, you saved my life."

"They'll find a way," he murmured. "Besides, David needs to get to a hospital." Edward looked extremely sad, and in pain.

"Can you get up?" I whispered. He shook his head.

"I don't know, I'm very tired, he broke my left arm." I gasped. My arm was broken, the same way that Edward's was, but it looked like he had fallen on it several times, and much more painful. Of course, my arm was killing me, but it didn't look as bad as Edward's.

"Edward! I'm so sorry, it's my fault. You shouldn't have protected me, it was a mistake. Can you forgive me?" I pleaded.

"What are you talking about? A mistake? Yes, it was; the amount of injuries I gave him, you're right. I probably should have stopped, and found a way to knock him out quickly. But David doesn't faint easily, so I didn't know how I could possibly have done that." Edward sighed.

"No, that's not what I was talking about," I said quickly. How could he think that beating up David was a mistake; he had saved my life. He didn't seem to be paying attention though.

"I won't be able to drive for at least a month," he muttered. "What a bloody idiot, couldn't he have broken my jaw, or my nose?" Edward seemed pissed off.

"Um, let's be happy that he didn't kill you, okay?" I suggested.

"Fine." He said simply. I heard sirens, and froze; what would happen to Edward? I would do everything that I could to keep him out of jail. But what if they looked at his criminal records?

"It's okay, Bella." His tone was soft and gentle. "If I go to jail, then I go to jail. And I would deserve it after everything that I have put you through."

"What?" Edward wasn't making any sense now. The sirens got closer, and I placed myself in front of Edward. He crawled and got me out of the way. Two cop cars arrived, and one of the police officers came out.

"I suppose one of you can explain what happened here?" The police officer eyed us suspiciously while the EMTs were getting David into an ambulance.

And then Edward started explaining about how he had seen David about to rape me, the fight, and he did admit that he had given him extensive injuries.

"Okay," the officer said. "We've got to get you two, to the hospital." He was speaking in a serious tone that scared me. Edward got up first, with some struggle, then held his good arm out, and pulled me up.

"Thanks," I murmured. He nodded.

**Please review.**


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

EPOV

I was riding in the ambulance, completely bored, and waiting for the police to make their verdict about me. Honestly, I didn't know what I could have done wrong, since is was self defense/saving someone's life, but life was full of surprises.

Basically, all the cop had done, was interrogate us on what had happened. Bella was freaked out when they asked her about David, and I had tried to look encouranging at her.

I was dreading what I would have to do when I got to the hospital; call my family. That was going to be awkward. I would definetely call Rosalie. Alice would spread the news even if I asked her not to, Emmett was probably the same; Esme would get emotional, and Carlisle would be shocked, and then react. I figured that it was normal, but Rosalie would be the one who would remain calm.

Jasper would have to come and get my Volvo, there was no way that I was leaving it in the dingy street that I had parked in. I would get the painful task over with once I was in a hospital bed, and hope that Rosalie wouldn't freak out.

We finally arrived, and I was desperate to see Bella; I didn't care one bit about David, he could have killed the girl I loved, so too bad.

I could see Bella coming out of the ambulance, and we were both escorted to the ER. Couldn't I just have Rosalie come, and then go to the hospital in Forks? This was such a waste of my time, if only they would make their decision, then I would go to some jail, or I could even try to drive myself home if I was free. Sighing probably wasn't best at the present moment.

"Mr. Cullen?" An officer said. I winced as if I was in pain. My arm was still hurting me, but I barely noticed it now.

"Yes, officer?" I said respectfully.

"We would like to thank you for saving Ms. Swan. Do you have a ride to go back to Forks, Washington?" He asked me. Did I imagine what I had just heard? Had I actually done something right for once in my life?

"Yes, I'm going to call my sister right now, thank you. I appreciate the hospital staff, and you for coming to help Bella," I said sincerely. And for the first time, a police officer smiled at me. Wow.

It took forever to get a cast on, and then I went to a hospital bed, and they closed the door. Wonderful. How would I start the conversation with Rosalie? What if they were pissed off at me?

I heard a soft knock at the door. "Come in," I said, bored. And I saw Bella Swan come in. Any pain that was left was completely gone.

"Hi Edward," she said softly.

"Hi," I said back, not quite knowing what to say. There was an awkward silence that lasted a couple of minutes.

How was I going to explain my absense to her? I hoped that my family hadn't gotten into any trouble with the school while I was gone.

"I just wanted to thank you for saving me today, I really appreciate it," she said quietly. There was another long awkward silence.

"You're welcome," I said after a while.

I stared at her beautiful face, and it hadn't changed one bit. Her hair was still a beautiful shade of mahogany, and her chocolate eyes still held kindness even though she was looking at a monster.

She seemed to be studying me in the same way, and I didn't understand why. How could she even bear to look at me after all of the awful things I had done in the past few months?

"I'm going to go call Charlie," she said, trying to raise her voice.

"Oh," was all I managed. "Will you come back?" I blurted out. She seemed suprised.

"Do you want me to?"

"Of course," I said. She nodded and stepped out. I might as well call Rosalie while she was gone. I pressed the speed dial button and waited.

"Hello?" Asked a quiet and incredulous voice.

"Hi Rosalie, how are you?" I tried to get straight to the point and avoid an overly emotional conversation.

"Edward? Is that really you?" She asked me.

"Yes, unfortunately," I said, irritated.

"What are you talking about? Are you okay? Where are you?" She asked me desperately.

"I'm fine, and in the hospital." I decided to skip the part about David and Bella; I had plenty of time to explain myself, how I was going to do that, was another story.

"Edward," she said weakly. "How can you say something like that? How can you give a me a brief answer? We haven't heard from you in months, everyone's been so worried. I know that you don't want me to ask you this, but please come home," She begged. I sighed.

"Yes, Rosalie, that's what I was planning." She gasped, and I could hear sobbs.

"Why are you so sad?" I asker her.

"You've been gone for months, I'm just happy, that's why I'm crying. And why are you at a hospital?" She seemed to have gotten over herself. Here was the tricky part, frame an answer that was vague, but reasuring.

"I got injured, and drove myself." Rosalie stayed silent.

"Injured how?" She whispered.

"No, Rosalie, not like that. Believe me, if I had stabbed myself than I would have finished. It was different, I'll explain everything when I see you," I promised.

"Do you promise, Edward?" She whispered.

"Yes."

"Fine, what do you want me to do?"

"I'm in Seattle, and I need you to pick me up, can you?"

"Of course. Is there anything else?"

"Could you bring Jasper, too? I'm not exactly in any form to drive, and I was wondering if he could drive my car back?"

"Yes, I'll make sure that he comes. Don't you want Alice, too?" She asked me curiously.

"No," I said quickly. Alice was going to have a fit so it was better to see her when I got home. "Just you and Jasper."

"Okay, bye Edward, I love you. Thank you for calling. And you're sure that we're going to see you?"

"Yes, you will," and I hesitated before I said the next five words. "I love you too, Rosalie."

"Thank you Edward," she said simply.

"Bye." The call ended, and I snapped my phone shut. That phone call hadn't been nearly as hard as I had thought, but the conversation with Bella was going to be awful. But I wasn't suicidal anymore, and whatever she said wouldn't end my life.

The door opened again. "Hi again," I said.

"Hi Edward, do you need a ride?" She whispered.

"No, I'm fine. Rosalie's coming to pick me up; Charlie's coming?" I verified.

"Yes," she said in the same quiet voice. I remembered that day when he had threatened me with jail, and immediately thought about something else.

"Bella, how are you? Is your arm okay?" I asked her. The longer I could put off this conversation, the better.

"Yeah, yours?" I smiled slightly.

"It could be better, but it's not too bad."

"Oh." We sat staring at one another, and it was even more awkward than before.

"How have you been?" I asked her suddenly.

"Good. I've been hanging out with Angela, Jessica, and your family. Math was a little challenging, but otherwise everything else was easy."

"That's good." What was I supposed to say?

"You're not going to be able to drive for a while?" She asked while smiling. I had a vague feeling that the conversation I was dreading was right around the corner.

"No. I might try on the small streets in Forks when I get home, but I won't be able to drive like I usually do," I said sadly.

"Speeding?" She questioned.

"Yes. If David had broken my left arm instead of my right one, then that might be a different story, but I can't drive for a long time."

"You're probably better at it than me; I'm not going to be behind the wheel until the cast is off,"she said.

"I'm going to try and risk it, but it's not going to be any fun," I grinned.

"Typical," she said simply. "You're always taking risks. Too many, like today," she whispered.

"It wasn't a risk," I disagreed. How could she think that I was taking a risk by saving her; I still didn't get it?

"Whatever you say. So how have you been?" She asked curiously.

"Good," I hesitated. "I've been to a fair amount of places, nowhere special." She looked confused.

"How was Hawaii? I've never been there, but it seems like fun." For some reason, it seemed like she was holding back tears.

"What's wrong Bella? I don't understand," I urged her to speak to me. She shook her head, not saying anything.

"Hawaii. It's where you went." Why did she keep saying Hawaii? I had never gone to Hawaii.

"I still don't understand, what do you mean?" What was she talking about?

"It's why you left, because of me." What the hell?! I left because of her?

"Who told you that?" I hissed. "And why do you keep saying Hawaii?"

"You left because I was too clingy. I understand, I probably would have done the same." She started sobbing.

"And why did I go to Hawaii?" I whispered.

"I don't know why you went there in particular, only that you ran away from your family because of me."

"Who told you that? Tell me." I commanded.

"Alice," she whispered. "She told me that's the reason, and I believe every word of it. I was never good enough for you, too ugly, too dull; it's like what you said in the dream. And then your ghost was chasing you with a knife, and..." She trailed off.

Was that the excuse that Alice had sold to her? That I thought that she was annoying and clingy? Hawaii I could understand, but blaming Bella? I suddenly had a rage burning inside me.

"What did my ghost do?" I whispered. Had her subconscious somehow told her what had happened?

"He was going to stabb you, murder you. And you placed yourself in front of me, and was going to fight, but you said it was inevitable."

"I'm so sorry that Alice told you that, you never should have heard it. Believe me, the first thing I'm going to do when I get home is talk to her," I said while glaring at nothing in particular.

"But she's right, I mean, you're right," Bella whimpered.

"No, you were and still are misinformed," I insisted.

"But Alice..." She said, confused.

"Alice is a good liar, but she shouldn't have blamed you for what I did. There's no one to blame except for myself," I said quietly. "She won't do it again."

"I don't understand what you're saying, Edward.You went to Hawaii because of me, how is that your fault?" She asked me, dumbfounded.

"Bella, I didn't go to Hawaii, and I never would have left because of you. If only you knew what I had done. I'll be surprised if my family even allows me to come back, but I'll figure something out if they don't." The thought of not being welcomed back was deppressing.

"You didn't go to Hawaii, and you don't hate me?" She murmured.

"No, nothing close." She looked at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Then what happened?" I couldn't meet her gaze, but I spoke.

"This has nothing to do with you. I left my family hanging without even a call till now, like you said, months. After I tell you what happened, if you don't have a horrible opinion of me already, then you will now," I said quietly.

"That's not possible Edward, I could never have a bad opinion of you."

"We'll see," I said without smiling. "I left my family because I..." How could I continue? I took a deep breath and started again.

"I never went to school while I was gone. All of these months I have been wandering all over the country. What I did was selfish."

"What did you do Edward?"

"I threatened them with something that I thought they didn't love, but I know that they do now."

"What?" She sounded desperate.

"Myself," I whispered. She gasped.

"What do you mean, you threatened them with yourself?"

"My life," I admitted almost inaudibly.

"You're suicidal?" She immediately understood.

"I was, I'm not anymore, I don't think so anyway." Was I still suicidal? I had my answer now. No.

And she started crying. "Why would you lie to me like that Edward? I know you went to Hawaii, don't make up stupid excuses. The Edward I knew wouldn't have run away because of me. You would have stayed and told me to leave you alone, and never speak to you again," she said angrily. I kept a calm face, but then I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"And the Bella I knew would believe me!" I snapped.

"Why did you even bother saving me if you hate me so much? Answer that truthfully at least."

"Because I don't hate you Bella!" I shouted.

"I don't believe you!" She yelled back.

"So what now? Everything I tell you is a lie in your eyes? How can I tell you the truth if you won't listen? I'm going to kill Alice for planting an excuse as ridiculous as me leaving because of you in your head. Because of her you won't believe anything I say."

"I trust Alice more than I trust you." It was a yelling match between her and me. I was pissed off at her now.

"Bella," I tried to say calmly. "Please get out of the room."

"Why?"

"I have a feeling that if we both continue to argue, then it's going to end badly. We've both been through a lot, and I'm not in the best mood. I tried to explain what happened to you, maybe someday you'll believe me," I sighed. She stopped midway.

"You were really suicidal?" She whispered. I simply nodded.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you, Edward, I believe you. But why?" She didn't seem to understand what I had just told her.

"Everything that's happened to me in my life. When I was ten, the stupid things that I've done in my life, and various other things."

"Like what?"

"The break-up," I said almost inaudibly. She gasped.

"So it was because of me?"

"No," I protested. "The break up itself, it has nothing to do with you."

"Tell me what happened," she said quietly.

"I don't know if I can...I" Hesitation was not good.

"Yes?"

BPOV

"I will try," he said quietly.

I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed, thank you so much! The next chapter might take me a while to write, so I'm sorry if I don't update right away. From now on, I can only update about once a week, but if I can do it more often, then I will. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please review! 


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

EPOV

How to start? What was I going to tell her?

"What happened Edward?" She whispered. I didn't say anything, and stared out the window. The memories of driving out of Forks were flashing by, and I didn't know what to say; so I decided to go in order.

"I was miserable ever since the break up, and my family noticed my depression," I said slowly. Her face remained unchanged, and I kept going.

"Esme suggested a therapist, and that was the last straw. I grabbed my knife and held it to my throat." I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare. She gasped.

"What happened next?" She whispered.

"I walked out of the house, and sped down the driveway, and went at dangerously high speeds; I had never driven so fast in my life. None of them came after me, and then I dropped off the flowers at your house." She was speechless. I was not going to tell her.

"Edward, where are you going?" She asked me, shocked, while I walked out the door.

"Out of here! I'm walking away. I don't care that my car is gone, or that I can't drive, I can't stand it anymore."

"You have a broken arm, Edward," she said. But then she added something that made me stop. "I've finally found you, and I don't want you to leave," she said quietly.

I turned around and went to go sit on the bed. Bella stared sadly at me. "It's all right Edward." I hated being comforted, but it was okay from her.

"I can't tell you, not today," I whispered.

"It's fine, you don't ever have to tell me," she said softly.

"Thank you, but I will. Can you answer a question for me?" This wasn't fair since I had told her that I would answer her question, but I had to ask.

"Yes."

"What happened to you while I was gone?" Whatever she had, had to be better than what I had done.

"The usual," she said. "School, dinner, cleaning. I was pretty bored."

"Bored?" I asked her.

"Yes, because you weren't there," she whispered. I didn't know what to say. Had I just imagined the words that had come out of her mouth?

"Oh," I said simply. What was I supposed to say? Bella, I was devastated without you, I still love you, and just by hearing your voice over the phone, you saved my life unintentionally? Yeah, right.

She was quiet, and I finally lied down on the uncomfortable bed. The door was closed, and I safely allowed myself to close my eyes. I felt Bella come and lie next to me. What did that mean? How could she even stand to be near me?

"Are you tired Edward?"

"Yes," I admitted. She put her good arm around my neck, and I froze. What was going on?

This wasn't normal. Bella should hate me after what I had put her through. She should slap me in the face, not put her arm around my neck.

"What are you doing?" I whispered.

"Relaxing," she said simply. I could tell her now; now that I knew that she didn't think I was repulsive, but her good opinion might change.

"Do you still want to know?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, but you don't have to tell me," she said softly.

"No, I want to," I said slowly.

"I'm listening," was all she said to me. "What happened to you?" She whispered so quietly that I could barely hear her.

"I didn't take care of myself. Even though I had my credit card, I skipped meals, and slept in my car. Only every other day did I rent a hotel room to take a short nap, and take a shower."

"Edward, why?"

"I was suicidal," I whispered. "I didn't care about anything anymore, it was all meaningless to me. You were gone, and that's all I kept thinking about." Rememebering what I had done made me want to puke. She stroked my face with her finger tips, and I sighed.

"You can stop anytime you want," she said gently. Now that I was finally opening up, I wasn't about to stop unless she didn't want to hear it.

"No," I shook my head.

"I wanted to get as far away from the west coast as I could, and I almost crashed, but the Volvo didn't recieve any damage. It was slightly dissapointing. I drove up all the way to new York, and went to a club. I kissed girls, and danced till I was exhausted, but I never got drunk; that was one thing that I remembered not to do."

She started sobbing, but I didn't know why. I pulled her to my chest, and felt her body relax. Had I actually just comforted her?

"How could you Edward?" She gasped. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"I didn't deserve to live, and I still don't," I whispered.

"You won't leave again, I won't let you!" She cried.

"I'm not going anywhere, but I can't imagine why you would want me to stay. How could you after everything I've done to you?"

She stopped sobbing, and stared at me. "What have you done? You haven't done anything to me."

"If I had come earlier, you wouldn't be in the hospital here with me. And when I left, your father probably yelled at you."

"Edward, I'm the one who went to the stupid club; it was just bad luck that David was there. And I can handle my father, that wasn't your fault," she sighed. But then she added more quietly, "The worst thing you did was leave, but I understand that you had to."

"I had to leave Bella, I couldn't stay, there was no way. I...still l..." I could not finish my sentence, not if I didn't want her hating me.

"I know now that you had to go. The only reason why I was so upset was because of what Alice told me."

"I'm going to kill her," he muttered. "But more importantly, who brought you to the club?"

"I went on my own," she said quickly. The lie was clear in her eyes.

"No," I murmured. "I know you well, and you would never have done something like that on your own. Tell me who did it."

BPOV

Edward's eyes blazed with fury. He hadn't pushed me off when I had lied down next to him.

"Edward," I protested.

"Tell me," he said simply.

"Will," I said reluctantly. His eyes narrowed.

" The new student?"

"Yes," I sighed.

"Well, that's one more person I'm going to have to talk to; Alice is going to pay." If I hadn't know him, then I wouldn't have dared to approach him.

"Just relax, Edward," I tried to say persuasively. "We're here, and safe in the hospital," I said.

"True." I soon felt myself trying to stay awake. Even though the hospital bed was uncomfortable, being next to Edward was pure bliss. I looked at him, and his eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady.

EPOV

I suddenly heard an annoying knock on the door. I glanced at the clock and saw that it had only been ten minutes since I had fallen asleep, and twenty minutes when the last nurse had arrived.

"Yes?" I answered. Whoever came in, gasped.

"Oh my god, um, Mr. Cullen," she said shakily. She was about twenty or so, and was blushing. "I didn't mean to interupt, but I was wondering if you needed anymore pain medications." Bella glared at the nurse.

"I'm fine," I said icily.

"Oh, well, I was just checking, are you sure I can't do anything for you? I would be delighted to..." My glare was darker than Bella's.

"No, but thank you," I said, irritated. Some nurse came in regularly every fifteen minutes; I was lucky that this one had come twenty minutes later.

"Oh, just call if you need anything," she hesitated before she left.

I heard another knock on the door which made my fist tighten; it hadn't even been thirty seconds.

"Yes," I hissed. The same nurse came in, and didn't look at me.

"Miss Swan, I have your father on the phone," she said, still not paying any attention to me for which I was gratefull.

Bella took the phone, and the nurse left. I settled back into the bed, and tried to sleep.

BPOV

"Bella," my father said frantically over the phone.

"Yeah Dad?"

"Where are you? The nurse told me that you're in room 113." They gave Charlie Edward's room number?

"Yeah, I am. I'll probably be staying here," I confirmed.

"Okay, but how are you? What happened?" This was going to take some explaining. But could I really live through what had happened with David again?

"I...I'll explain everything later, but I'm fine. There's no need to worry," I said quietly.

"Okay," he said unconvinced. "The police told me something about someone trying to rape you near a club, but I didn't listen to the rest. Are you sure you're okay, Bells?" He asked me, worried.

"Yep," I said cheerfully. As long as I was in Edward's arms, I was more than fine.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "I'll be there in two hours."

"Bye," I said, and he hung up.

"Your father?" Edward asked.

"Yes, I told him that I would stay in your room, I didn't think twice about it, Edward. I can go right now if you want me to.

"No," he said quickly. It almost seemed like he was desperate to keep me here.

"Edward," I whispered.

"Bella," he said, his voice at the same low volume as mine.

For some reason, it seemed like he wanted to kiss me, but nothing happened.

EPOV

"What about your girlfriend?" She asked me while trying to keep agony out of her tone. Why was she upset?

"Who?" I asked her blankly.

"You were kissing a blonde," she said quietly.

"I was, and I'm sorry that you had to see that. It was one of my old habits. I would randomly kiss girls when I went to clubs," I whispered.

"Oh, I remember when you told me that," she said. We didn't say anything for a while.

"Your father will be here in an hour and a half?" I verified.

"Yes." I felt my eyes close.

A vibrating sound was nearby which woke me up, as well as Bella. She stared at the phone and groaned.

"Hello?"

"You're in the hospital?" Bella asked. I assumed that she was talking to her father.

"Okay, yeah, room 113. See you soon."

"He's coming?" I whispered. I didn't know if she could hear the grief in my voice.

"Yes." Two minutes later, we heard a knock at the door. I saw the knob turn, and Chief Swan came into the room, staring at Bella next to me in the bed. His eyes flashed to me, and he glared murderously.

"You," he hissed. "What are you doing in Bella's room? Did you rape her?" His voice was dark and I shivered. It was now or never to tell him what happened, but before I could say another word, Bella started yelling.

BPOV

"You," he hissed. "What are you doing in Bella's room? Did you rape her?"

How could Charlie think that Edward had raped me? Edward would be in jail if he had.

"Stop yelling at him, Charlie!" I shouted.

"Don't raise your voice at me," he shouted back.

"Leave Edward alone!" Tears were coming to my eyes, and I hated it. "He saved my life, Edward saved my life! If it hadn't been for him, then I wouldn't be here, Dad. I'm tired of you blaming him for everything, he didn't do anything wrong!"

Charlie stared at me, then looked at Edward curiously; almost like he was a science experiment.

"You saved her?" Charlie asked in a low voice. Edward nodded. "Why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do Chief Swan. I would never be able to let myself walk off if your daughter was in trouble, it's impossible."

"Who almost raped her?" Charlie asked Edward suspiciously.

"David," I said before Edward could respond. "David..." I stopped, realizing that I had no clue what David's last name was.

"Samuels," Edward whispered almost inaudibly.

"David Samuels almost raped me, and if Edward hadn't knocked him out, then I would be dead or raped."

"Samuels." Charlie muttered. "Caused me more trouble than Cullen did."

I didn't know what my face looked like right now, but it was probably a mess; I could feel heat in my cheeks because of the anger.

"I want to talk to Edward by myself," Charlie said gruffly.

I looked up curiously at Edward, and he smiled sadly. "Yes, Chief Swan," Edward said vulnerably.

"Maybe I should stay," I said to both of them. Charlie shook his head, and I sighed as I walked out the door. What was Charlie going to say?

EPOV

By the time Bella had left, I had stood up, and was going to talk to Chief Swan. He stared at my arm and then at my face.

"What happened?" He whispered.

"I was at a club," I said slowly. His expression didn't change. "And then I left. I ran for about five minutes down a dark alley, and saw David holding her against a wall. Her wrist was already broken by the time I had arrived. I fought with David till he was unconscious, and then called 911." This time, he glared at nothing in particular.

"Is he in the hospital?" He demanded.

"Yes. I gave him extensive injuries; it was wrong." Chief Swan stared at me with a strange look on his face.

"You really did save her life?" He asked me in wonder.

"Yes," I said. "Or at least I think I did, maybe she could have gotten away on her own." But I could hear how pathetic that sounded.

"No," he murmured to himself. "She wouldn't have survived." I didn't say anything.

"Probably not," I admitted. He nodded.

"I want to thank you for saving her." I didn't say anything. Chief Swan sounded sincere, but did he really mean it? I had never had him thank me for anything, but why should he thank me? The only times that he had seen me were when I was arrested, and in the backseat of his car.

"It's not a problem," I said without looking at him.

"Can I do anything for you?" He asked. "Do you need a ride home?"

"No thank you. Rosalie's coming to get me," I said. Nietherof us knew what to say, so he left without another word.

BPOV

My father came out looking grim. I had been worried to death, and the look on his face didn't reasure me.

"So?" I asked breathlessly.

"Nothing really happened," he said without any emotion. Was that good?

"Can I say good bye to Edward before we leave?" I asked Charlie hopefully.

"Sure, but make it quick; I'll be out here."

"Okay, bye." I sprinted back to room 113, and opened the door. Edward looked up and smiled.

"Are you okay? What did he say to you?" Edward shrugged.

"Nothing much."

"Say something to me, anything." I had lived for such a long time without his voice, and I needed to hear it one last time before I left. I might not hear it ever again in my life, so I just wanted some small memory.

He didn't say anything for a couple of minutes. I was about to leave when he said something.

"Friends?" He asked me, sticking out his hand.

"Friends," I agreed, shaking it. "Bye Edward."

"Good bye, Bella," he said softly. I turned around so that he wouldn't see the tears streaming down my face.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

I stared at the door where Bella had just walked through. Would I ever speak to her again? Would I someday hear her beauitful voice again?

Since Chief Swan had come, Rosalie would be here any minute. My phone rang, and I opened it slowly.

"Hey, Rosalie," I said dully.

"Edward, I'm in the hospital with Jasper, what's your room number?" She asked me frantically.

"113," I responded flatly.

"Are you okay?" She asked me in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

"Okay, see you soon." After a minute, I heard a soft knock at the door.

"Come in." Rosalie opened the door, and stared at me on the bed. Her eyes immediately widened when she saw my broken arm.

"Oh my god!" She said quietly. "What happened to you?" Jasper came into the room and stared at me.

"What happened Edward?" Jasper asked. Before I could respond, Rosalie was hugging me and sobbing.

"Edward, do you have any idea how worried we've been?" She kept crying, and Jasper hung back, looking grim.

"I'm sorry, for everything," I whispered.

"Apologize to Esme," Rosalie pleaded. "We missed you so much, especially her. You have no idea how scared we were." Jasper wasn't looking or talking to me.

"What's wrong with Jasper?" I asked quietly so that he wouldn't hear me.

"He and Alice broke up, and they haven't gotten back together." When I heard Alice's name, I felt like exploding.

"But you haven't answered my question yet, what happened to your arm?" I sighed. This was going to be a great conversation! Not.

"Rosalie," I hesitated. "I can't tell you, I've been through a fair amount." She nodded.

"Let's go."

"Thanks for picking me up." I wanted to tell them that I missed them too, but would they believe it? Despite Jasper being distant at first, he finally came and spoke to me.

"How are you; not in too much pain?" He sounded concerned.

"Okay, but have you and Rosalie told the rest of the family that I'm coming?" I asked.

"No, you didn't want us to, did you?" He sounded confused.

"No. And thank you for driving my car back," I said sincerely.

"No problem; it's good to have you back Edward," he said quietly. We didn't say anything for a while.

"Is something wrong?" That was the problem with Jasper, he had a strange talent of knowing how someone felt.

"Yeah," I sighed. "It's been a stressful day."

"I can imagine."

Rosalie signed me out of the hospital, and I inhaled the fresh air, and slowly exhaled. Being out of that awful place was a relief.

All three of us walked in silence, and Rosalie had tears streaming down her cheeks. I suddenly felt awful; seeing her there cry made me want to slap myself.

"Can you remember where you parked your car, Edward?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah, go down this street, and turn right at the traffic light, and go down two blocks, then take a left." Rosalie nodded, and I opened the door to the backseat.

"Don't you want to ride in front, Edward?" Jasper asked.

"No. I'm too tired."

"Why would it be bad if you sat in the front seat?" Rosalie seemed just as confused as Jasper.

"It would be tiring to see the speed at which you drive." I laughed a little, then stopped. Rosalie suddenly grinned, and Jasper chuckled.

"I've missed you Edward." I crawled into the backseat, and immediately layed down accross the two seats. Jasper turned his head to look at me, and then looked up at the front again.

I was back in the dark alley where I had fought with David, but a different sight greeted me. As I got closer, Bella's body was crumpled on the ground by David's feet.

"So, Cullen, you came to join the club. Tell me, where should I bury her? We have to hide the evidence," he said casually.

I didn't say anything, and stared at Bella.

"You asshole!" I roared. He looked scared as I launched myself at him, but I was suddenly on the ground, and his foot was on my neck.

"Say good bye, Cullen," he mumured. Right before he pressed his foot down, I woke up.

"Edward!" Rosalie screamed. "What happened?"

"Where is he?" I gasped. "Where? We have to leave, right now, or else we'll die. Hurry, forget about the car."

My brain suddenly cleared, and I came back into reality, and exhaled in relief. David was in the hospital, and Bella was on her way home.

"What happened Edward? You were wincing and shaking in your sleep. Tell me now," Rosalie commanded.

"I can't," I said, getting scared again. I could feel sweat running down my forehead.

My body was shaking, and I heard sobs; it was me. I had never felt so vulnerable in my life, and never, even in my craziest dreams had I cried in front of my family.

"Edward," Rosalie whispered. "How did you break your arm?"

"David broke it," I gasped. Jasper stared at my cast.

"Were you fighting with him?" He asked me pensively. I nodded. Jasper's voice was at the same volume as Rosalie's.

"Why?"

"Bella almost got raped. If I hadn't beat up David then Bella would be dead," I choked out. What was happening? I was acting like a lunatic.

My ragged breathing slowly evened out after a few minutes.

RPOV

Bella? David? I had heard that David had been after her, but why was Bella in a club in Seattle; it made no sense?

"I can't," Edward rasped out. "Don't make me say anything more, please." I didn't ask anything else, but he continued to thrash around. But then he said something that made me stop breathing.

"The knife, where is it?" He shouted. "I need it!" I stared in horror.

"Edward," Jasper yelled. Edward stopped and stared up at him.

"What's going on?" I said shakily. I hadn't expected to find Edward in good shape, but like this? No.

"I don't know, what should we do? He's not having a seizure or anything." Edward was hyperventalating.

"Should we bring him back to the hospital?"

"No," Edward immediately told me. "Just drive back to Forks." He seemed more composed, and I didn't know what to say. His breathing was becoming slower, and finally he took a deep breath.

"He's traumatized," Jasper said quietly. "I don't know how bad it was, but whatever happened terrorized him. He was relaxed before, and now he's thinking about it, so it's catching up to him. I think." I groaned.

"Out of the car, Jasper," I said. Edward was limp, so I quietly closed the door in case he was sleeping. Jasper came out, and closed his door a little too loudly.

"We can't be uncertain, we have to be sure," I hissed. "Edward needs a therapist."

"No, he doesn't," Jasper snapped. I took a deep breath, and exhaled.

"This is no time to argue, what do we do?" Jasper looked at me blankly. Well, what a help he was.

"We call, Bella," I said. It was so glaringly obvious that I felt stupid for not thinking about it before.

"What good is that going to do us?" Jasper asked me flatly.

"Edward loves her, Jasper. Her voice soothes him; since he's under a lot of stress, then talking to her might help."

"But what if Bella doesn't want to talk about it?" Jasper asked. God, he was slow.

"It doesn't matter what they talk about, just something to calm him down." Jasper nodded. I took out my phone, and scanned through my phone book until I found Chief Swan's number, not knowing if Bella had her cell phone with her.

"Why do you have Chief Swan's number in your phone book?" Jasper remarked.

"It's a free country," I snapped. Jasper rolled his eyes. "Go do something productive, Jasper; go see how Edward's doing." He marched away, mumbling to himself.

"Hello?" I heard Bella's voice over the phone and exhaled in relief.

"Bella, it's Rosalie. Can you please talk to Edward for a few minutes; it doesn't matter what you talk about, just keep talking, he needs to hear your voice," I said.

"Okay," she said. "Is he alright?"

"Sort of."

"Hand him the phone." I ran to the car, and yanked open the door to the backseat. Edward's hair was damp with sweat, and he was shaking.

"Edward," I said softly. He looked up, but said nothing. "Bella's on the phone to talk to you." My words immediately brought life into his eyes; I smiled slightly.

BPOV

What was going on? Rosalie sounded completely shaken up about something, and it had to do with Edward. Had he tried to commit suicide, but had failed?

"Bella," I heard a raspy voice over the phone. This was not the confident voice that Edward usually had; it sounded like he was a weak child who had just finished surgery.

"Edward, what happened?" I asked him in a desperate voice.

"Nothing," he said. "I was getting stressed out because of what happened with David. Are you okay?" Why would he be asking me if I was okay? He should have been worrying about himself.

"I'm fine, Edward. We don't have to talk about what happened with David. Let's move on to a new topic." I thought about different things that would be interesting to him, but none came to mind.

"What are you doing when you get home?" I asked him quickly. I could hear short ragged breaths over the phone.

"Eating," he breathed.

"Oh." What next?

"Are you going to be in an advanced math class next year?"

"Yes. What about you?"

"Probably not,"I said.

"Okay. Please, keep talking," he begged.

"Hold on Edward." I didn't hear what he had said because I had pressed the mute button, so that he wouldn't hear my conversation with Charlie.

"Dad, can we go back to the club?" The car immediately stopped.

"What? Why?" He seemed so surprised, that if I wasn't worried about Edward, than his facial expression would have been funny to me.

"Edward's in trouble. He's stressed out, and Rosalie called me to talk to him. He sounds weak, and I think he needs me. Do you mind if I ride back with them to Forks?" I prayed that he would say yes.

"Are you sure?" I nodded. He studied me for several minutes before answering. "Fine," he sighed.

"Thank you somuch!" I said gratefully. I pressed the mute button again, which brought me back to Edward.

"Edward, I'm coming back to see you." I heard a sharp exhale.

"Thank you so much Bella," he whispered.

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes. See you soon." I hung up, and drummed my fingers impatiently on the car's window sill.

EPOV

Bella was coming back, and the very thought made me stop shaking completely. Had Chief Swan really let her come back to see me? The very concept of the idea seemed impossible, but I was too happy to care.

I slowly felt myself drifting off, and after five minutes, I heard a knock on the car door. The sound made me jump, but as soon as I saw Bella's face, I relaxed. She opened the door, and slid inside.

"Hey Edward," she said quietly.

"Hi," I choked.

I moved my head so that I was only taking up the middle seat. Her fingers were running through my hair, and I was in complete bliss.

"Thank you so much for coming, Bella," I said.

The rest of the ride went by peacefully, and I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up, we were heading up the drive to my house.

Even though I hadn't seen it in months, I still remembered the mysterious way that the path wound up to my house, and I got a brief glance of the creek. Bella seemed to be staring at it in wonder.

"Welcome home, Edward," Rosalie said quietly to me. I glanced briefly at the car's clock, and saw that it was midnight. How would the family react to Rosalie coming home so late?

As soon as the car was stop, I slowly got up. Bella tried to help me, but I managed to do it on my own, and I didn't see how that was possible.

It felt very nice to finally get out and stretch my legs. "Should I go now?" Bella asked me. Should she go? No, she couldn't.

"If you want to," I said unwillingly. I wasn't going to force her to stay with me.

"Can I stay?"

"Of course," I mumured.

Rosalie gave me a sad look. "Come on, Edward," she grumbled. "Let's get this overwith." And Rosalie was right; this wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Why don't you go in first," I suggested.

"Probably for the best," she said in agreement. Jasper slowly followed her, and bella trailed behind me.

"This is going to be painful," I muttered.

"Why?" Bella asked me incredulously.

"Who knows how they're going to react to me?"

"They love you," she said soothingly. "Nothing bad will happen?"

Rosalie knocked the door, and waited. I heard loud footsteps, and shouting; Emmett.

"Rosalie," he said. "Where have you been? You've been out for nine hours!"

"I think you have to see the reason," Rosalie said calmly. "It's kind of a surprise."

"Surprise," Esme screamed. Esme was screaming; since when did Esme lose her temper for no reason? Then again, I hadn't been at the house for a long time, so how would I know?

"Every family member is supposed to say where they are going," she yelled. "Every since Edward left, you know how I've felt! I don't care about whatever surprise you've brought. Edward's gone now, so it doesn't matter. We failed for some reason; he's never coming back!" Esme was crying. Not one person knew what to say.

I figured that this was my time to say something. Could I comfort Esme? Rosalie has said to apologize, so I would.

"You never failed; I failed you, and I am back," I said in a clear voice. Esme's sobs stopped, and she looked up at me.

"Edward," she whispered. "Is it really you?" I nodded. No one said anything.

"Edward!" Alice said happily. She ran up to me, and hugged me. "I told them you hadn't commited suicide, but they wouldn't believe me." Even though I was still angry, I couldn't help returning her hug.

"Don't," Esme wailed.

"But it's over mom, he's back, Edward isn't going anywhere, are you?"

"No," I said simply

Esme was still on the floor, but her crying had stopped. "Do you need a help standing up mom?" I said, offering her my hand.

As she took it, she seemed stare as if it was the best thing she had ever seen in her life. "Edward!" She started sobbing all over again. The she stared at me and noticed my arm.

"What happened?" She asked me, not daring to believe what she saw.

"It's probably best if we sit down and talk, not now." Then Alice squealed once she saw Bella.

"Bella! When did you and Edward get back toge..." I immediately cut her off.

"It's not like that Alice," I said while wishing it was.

"Oh." No one said anything.

"Hey little brother, so, you survived the whole country, nice. So where did you go?"

"Emmett, will you ever stop calling me little brother?" I groaned. A grin streched accross Carlisle's face, and I realized how much I had missed them, and how good it was to be home. This comversation might not be so bad after all.

**Hi everyone. Next chapter will be the conversation with Edward's family. Thanks for reading, and as usual, please review.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**EPOV**

Alice took my hand and led me to the sofa. I looked back at Bella, and she smiled then cleared her throat.

"Well, Edward, it was nice seeing you again, and thank you for, well, everything." I looked at her, alarmed. Was she leaving?

"No, don't leave," I said quickly, walking up to her.

"But your family wants to spend time with you, Edward. They haven't seen you in months, and this is the wrong time for me to be in your house. It's fine; I'm sure my dad is starting to worry anyway." Bella smiled. I wanted to tell her that her leaving was the last thing I wanted.

"But your cast can't get wet," I said.

"And it's not raining outside," she said serenely.

"Bella, I don't want you to leave, please stay." Was I begging? Wow, I had never begged in my life.

"I don't think your family will want me here."

"It's fine." I didn't hear Alice come up behind us, but when she tapped me on the shoulder, I flinched.

"Sorry, Edward, you must be used to me being annoying by now. And Bella, we all want you to stay," she chirped. I glared.

"Some things never change," I muttered.

"Never."

I could see that Bella was uncomfortable, but the soft red color on her cheeks was beautiful.

"Just stay," Alice commanded.

"Only if you want to," I put in. Maybe she really wanted to leave, I didn't know.

"If it's okay with you, then I will stay." I could feel a grin flash across my face. Alice looked at both of us, and laughed.

"Come on, Edward, and tell us where you went and what you saw." I sighed and followed her.

My whole family looked at me expectantly. What was I supposed to tell them about? How close I came to ending my life? Is that what they wanted to hear? I decided to sit down next to Bella on the couch.

"What is that?" Bella asked, staring at my left arm. A three inch scar stretched across the bottom part of my arm. I looked away, embarrased.

"I got into a fight in New York with some strange guy who started to threaten to kill me. Unfortunately, he made a pretty deep gash in my right arm, so I had to go by the hospital," I sighed. That was a painful memory that I wanted to forget.

"Did you start it, Edward?" Alice whispered.

"No, the guy was drunk," I sighed. Everyone stared at me. "Even though I wanted to die, I wanted to be the one to do the killing, so that's why I fought him." No one said a word.

"On to lighter topics," Rosalie said. "Where else did you go besides New York?"

"I traveled all over the east coast, basically. My car became my living space." Emmett whistled.

"Sounds like you had a great time!" He said sarcastically.

"Oh yeah," I said with mock enthusiasm. "Nearly ending my own life, it was worth celebrating." Esme dissapeared into the kitchen, then re-emerged carrying food.

"I had some cake leftover so I figured maybe you would want it," she said kindly, smiling. I nodded, and gobbled it down in about five minutes.

"That was a really big piece," Emmett remarked.

"Well, you're not the only one who eats like a pig, Emmett. In fact, if I had been overeating, I might have gotten fat while I was gone."

"Doubt it," Jasper said. We kept talking, and I eventually asked them about what had been going on while I was away. Soon, dinner was ready, and I had thirds.

"Can I go up to my room?" I asked suddenly.

"Yeah, everything is where you left it," Carlisle said. I nodded, and started walking up the stairs.

"You want to come with me, Bella?" I called. What was I doing? I needed to tell her that I loved her before it was too late. Maybe she had already moved on; I could hardly blame her if she had.

"Yeah," she said softly. "I will."

"Cool."

Alice gave me a devilish grin, and I rolled my eyes. While I was making my way up, I trailed my hand over the polished wood of the railing; it's smooth feeling was comfortable and familiar even though I had been gone for a long time. I opened the door to my room, and saw that the sheets were a different color and dust lined every inch of the room. Had someone been in here?

"Edward, it's my fault, I'm sorry I slept in your bed." I turned around, and stared at Bella.

"You slept in my room?" I asked her incredulously. She nodded weakly.

"I know that you hate it when people go in your room, so I want to apologize."

"I wasn't there, so it hardly matters. But why?"

"Why what?" She asked.

"Why did you choose my room of all rooms in the house?"

"Because it was familiar, it felt...right," she whispered. I couldn't say anything.

"Oh." I said after a while.

"I missed you," she murmured.

"I did to. Whenever I thought about you, and the knife was millimeters from my throat, I stopped what I was doing, and simply pictured your kind face, and remembered all of the memories that we had shared." What had I done? I had basically just told her that I had never gotten over her.

"I didn't forget about you either," she whispered.

"Bella, I never stopped..." Loving you, was what I wanted to say. I had never been a coward, but now I was.

"I want to tell you something Edward."

"Go ahead," I encouraged. Maybe I didn't want to hear this.

"When David was about to...well, hurt me, as soon as I saw you, I felt relief. I couldn't tell if you were lying about helping me, but as long as you were there, I felt like I could have lived with whatever David was going to do to me. I felt that because I still...I still love you, Edward. I don't know if you feel the same way, but I just wanted to make sure that you knew." Her voice was so low that I almost had trouble catching it all, but when she was finished, I was speechless.

Instead, I walked up towards her, and took her in my arms. "I wanted to tell you the same thing, but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me." I said quietly. "I never stopped loving you, no matter how mental I was, that never changed and it never will."

She laid her head against my chest, and I kissed her head.

"Screw Charlie," she said suddenly, looking at me. "If you love me, and I love you, then I want to be in a relationship with you again." She paused. "Only if you want to, of course," she said.

Instead of agreeing, I kissed her on the lips, and she kissed me back. None of it mattered anymore, the whole world was meaningless right at that moment, all that mattered was Bella. She was right, nothing could stop us. We became one, and had to break apart for air.

"That had to be one of the best moments of my life," I said, panting.

"Y-yeah," she gasped. I laughed, and she joined in. Her laughter was like my personal lullaby.

"I should probably go now," she said.

"Really?"

"Really really," she said, giggling. We kissed again, and I walked her to the door. As soon as Bella was gone, Alice was bombarding me with questions.

"So anyway, how was the kissing? How did she react to you saying that you love her? You look tired, must have been wild." I wasn't bothered by her pointless babbling, I was too happy.

**BPOV**

I still couldn't believe that I was with Edward again, it seemed too good to be true; more than good, wonderful. Whether Charlie liked it or not, he was going to find out as soon as I walked into the house. There would be no lies this time, and he would have to deal with the fact that I loved Edward, it was that simple. Charlie did not have a choice.

"I'm home, dad," I said cheerfully.

"How are you?"

"Happy." He looked at me like I was crazy.

"Okay. Why, I mean, what are you so happy about?"

"Life, and Edward." Charlie froze.

"Edward Cullen," he whispered. I ignored his reserved tone.

"That's right," I said simply.

"Bella, I know that he saved your life, but..."

"But what?" I demanded. "Dad, I'm going out with Edward again, and you'll be the first one to know if he hurts me, I promise. And isn't my judgement good enough for you? You can't convince me out of this one, we love each other."

"Bella, he's trouble. Trust me just this once, he is nothing but trou..." I cut Charlie off; no one would insult Edward while I was around.

"He is not, the fact that he saved my life should be proof enough, don't you think?"

"Yes, if you really think it is," he sighed, giving up. I smiled.

"Maybe you should get to know him, you two would really get along if you gave each other the chance."

"That's likely," Charlie said.

"We should have him over for dinner," I said, pushing my luck.

"Just because I agreed doesn't mean I'm thrilled about it, but he saved your life, and I can't ignore that fact."

"Great dad, thank you, I love you. Good night."

"Love you too Bells, good night."

I got ready for bed, smiling for no particular reason. I was with Edward now, and that was the only thing that mattered for now. I finally crawled into bed, and dreamed about Edward.

**I am so sorry it took so long to update, I hope this was a good chapter, but it's not the end, and they're finally back together! Yay! Please review.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**1 month later...**

**EPOV**

I sat on my bed, reading a book. Honestly, my family had put me on house arrest; it was the most cruel thing they could do! I was allowed to have visitors, but that's it. Bella had been asking me why I had never come out of the house. I used the excuse of my broken arm, and being afraid of her father; it was lame, but there was no way that I was going to own up to being grounded. Esme and Carlisle had decided to ground me because I had left, they had told me that it was only "fitting". I had no idea why they would want to make me suffer like this. Alice came into my room without asking or knocking.

"Alice, I know that I'm on house arrest, but could you at least respect me and knock first; you know that I hate it when people randomly come in."

"Too bad, I feel no pity for you whatsoever. You made a huge mistake in leaving, so they don't trust you. Frankly, Bella seems to be the only one who trusts you these days. I have no idea why, but she does." I glared.

"Actually, dear sister, Bella doesn't trust you at all after that lovely lie that you told her. Why would you tell her something like that? Not only did you make me look cruel, but you hurt her." Alice pouted.

"Bella can think whatever she wants, but it was for your own good. You told us that if we or Bella called, then you would kill yourself, so that's why. Forgive me for wanting you to live, brother dear." I looked away. Nothing I could say would convince her.

"Whatever, so what are you doing here?" I asked, irritated.

"Just telling you that Bella is downstairs," she said cheerfully.

"I could have gotten the door myself, thanks." Why was she so annoying?

"Now, if you would excuse me, I have some business to attend to. It's very lucky for me that you're grounded, otherwise this wouldn't have worked. You probably won't be too happy, but then again, we weren't happy with you, so we're even."

"Alice, I didn't mean to hurt any of you; I had to leave. If I had stayed, then it would have driven me crazy, almost to the point of insanity, and then it would have been the end." Alice was quiet.

"Doesn't change anything," she whispered. Then, her mood shifted and she had a huge grin on her face.

"What are you planning? You always get revenge on me for something that I've done wrong. What is it this time?"

"You'll see soon enough, Edward," she said, dashing away.

"Bella's here, I don't have enough time to chase after you," I muttered. I heard light footsteps, and I automatically opened my bedroom door to see my personal angel standing several feet away from me.

"Hey Edward," Bella said, smiling.

"Hi." I scooped her up in my arms, and walked to my bed.

"Honestly, Edward, you can come to my house. Charlie has agreed, and you seem to be stuck here every time I visit."

"Yeah, my arm is sort of bothering me, so I try to avoid going out, and you know how it rains all the time." Bella looked at me strangely.

"It's sunny and warm outside today, let's at least go out to your backyard or something. You'll enjoy it, I know I have been." I wasn't even allowed to go outside to my own yard, that's how bad it was.

"It's probably best not t..." I was cut off by Alice yelling. My window was open, so I could hear her loudly.

"Edward!" She shouted. I looked out the window, only to see my car on and about to drive away.

"No!" I yelled. "Alice, what the hell are you doing? Don't steal my car! Can't you think of something less extreme, please." Alice's huge grin was visible even though she was driving away.

"Sorry Edward, it's your fault for leaving. Rosalie's taking your Aston Martin too, you are going to be carless, even though your cast is going to be taken off in two weeks."

"Excuse me Bella, I need to go speak to her, I'll be back up in a few minutes."

"It's fine," she said. "I'll come with you." I sighed, she was eventually going to find out that I had been grounded, so why not?

"Alright." I sprinted down the stairs, and saw Rosalie walking out the door. Maybe if I could sneak past Esme, I could stop Rosalie from taking the Aston Martin.

"Rosalie," I pleaded, once I had gotten down the stairs. "Please don't take it."

"Sorry Edward," she said, smiling. "Alice made me promise to help her."

I reached out the door, and then heard Esme come up behind me. I was done for. Bella would find out, and my house arrest would be prolonged.

"Edward, you are not going anywhere," she scolded. "We told you that you were to stay in the house."

"Please, they're about to take both of my cars. The first thing I wanted to do once the cast was off was drive, but if you don't stop them, then I won't be able to." I was begging. If anyone could stop them, then it would be Esme.

"You know that I can't stop Alice," she said. But she could, and she knew it.

Rosalie was at the garage by then, and I stared at my nicest car being pulled out. I looked at her with what I hoped were pleading eyes. She was grinning, and Alice was motioning her to follow.

"Mom, please, I'll do anything. I will stay in the house for the rest of my life, even when I'm sixty with gray hair." What had I done to deserve this? And then Rosalie said something that made me freeze.

"Hey Edward, guess what this is!" I saw something that looked like a passport. I sighed.

"No idea," I muttered.

"A passport. We're bringing both cars to Mexico, and we're taking a train back. Your passport is coming with us too, so that you won't be able to get your car back on your own." I stared. How was I going to get my car back?

"You're going to simply park it and leave it in Mexico for months at a time?!" Rosalie's smile widened.

"Yes, and if they both get destroyed, then it's hardly our fault since you were the one who left in the first place!" I slammed the door shut, knowing that it was a lost cause.

Bella followed me as I trudged up the stairs, confused. The secret was out, she now knew that I was grounded. Great, just great! Emmett passed me.

"Sorry little brother, but they told me to keep it a secret from you. I'm sure you'll get it back eventually. But in my opinion it's worse that you lost your passport."

"Thanks Emmett," I muttered. Once I got into my room, I quietly closed the door, and sat on my bed again.

"What was that all about?" Bella asked me. "And how come you didn't tell me that you were grounded?"

"My family likes to get revenge if I've done something to hurt them, but it's never been this extreme. And I didn't tell you I was grounded because it's so shameful."

"I can drive you places if you want me to. So we're stuck inside?" She asked.

"Thanks. Basically, yeah. Feel free to go outside though, I don't mind. I can talk to you through the window." That was a stupid idea, but I wouldn't force her to stay in my room; she didn't need to suffer along with me.

"Don't be stupid, are you allowed downstairs?" She asked, suddenly worried.

"Yes, but I stay up here because I don't want to speak to them."

"Maybe they're doing it for your own good," she suggested.

"Believe me, I've learned my lesson by now. I just wish they would let me go outside in the yard," I muttered.

"Well, we can find something else to do. How about a movie? Or we can cook something."

"As long as you can handle me burning something, then it's a great idea, otherwise, let's just be safe and go watch a movie on the huge TV downstairs."

"See," she said kindly. "You can always find something to do in a house. Come on, let's watch a horror movie."

"Are you sure? It doesn't bother me, but if you want to than that's fine." She grinned, and I couldn't help smiling back. The next time Alice and Rosalie came back to the house, I would have something that would annoy them to the extreme. Maybe destroying their credit cards, or burning Alice's clothes. She would slap me, but it wouldn't matter.

"That's not very nice," Bella remarked. I was suddenly brought back to reality by her comment. Had she read my mind?

"Alice and Rosalie stealing your car," she clarified.

"It's punishment, and I guess they have the right, but if I wasn't on house arrest, then I could have stopped them. Oh well. Maybe I will see my Volvo again or maybe not."

Bella decided to watch the grudge, and I found it hilarious because it looked fake. Every time I let out a chuckle, she looked at me curiously. I just shook my head, and tried to contain myself with difficulty.

Once the movie ended, Bella told me something that scared me.

"Edward, do you want to come to my house and have dinner with me, Charlie and his girlfriend?" I was confused for two reasons. First, how had she managed to get her father to agree to it, and second, hadn't I just told her that I was grounded?

"But," I was cut off.

"Charlie agreed, it was difficult, and I talked to your parents and they agreed. It's tomorrow, please come. You and Charlie need to properly introduce yourselves," she said firmly.

"But Bella, Chief Swan already knows who I am, and I know who he is." Bella shook her head.

"You don't understand what I'm saying," she insisted. "You have to meet him, Charlie agreed, and that's a start. Please Edward, for me." Why did she have to pull out the "for me" phrase? She knew that I was helpless when she used it.

"For you," I agreed.

"Thank you Edward!" She said, excited.

"Anita's really nice too, she's made Charlie a lot more relaxed, and it's probably because of her that he's letting you come. Took a while to convince him too."

"I'll be there," I sighed.

I tilted her chin up, and kissed her.

"Curse you Alice," I said after we had finished kissing.

"What was that?" Bella asked.

"Nothing at all, but if Alice comes home, she is in trouble!" Yes, I would get back at Alice, and I already had plenty of ideas.

**Here's another chapter, I hope you like it. Please review.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.**

**EPOV**

I was drumming my fingers on my desk. It was currently a few hours before I would have to go to Bella's house to meet her father. Why did I always agree to stupid things like this? But if Bella was there, then it should be fine. But what if she wasn't? What if she had forgotten and it was only Chief Swan? But that was stupid, she would be there.

I went down to the kitchen, and saw Esme, hoping that she could give me some advice. "Hey mom, how should I act around Bella's father?" Esme smiled.

"Did you ask Bella if you could bring anything?" I actually had asked Bella, and she had told me to bring dessert.

"She told me to bring dessert," I said.

"That's excellent, what are you planning on bringing?"

"I don't know, do you have any further insight?"

"Yes, a cake would be good," she said. I felt stupid, of course I could bring a cake, they were good and not too expensive.

"Right," I agreed. "I'll go out to the store right now, and I'll be back in a few minutes."

"No, you're not taking the Mercedes Edward, and you know that you're not allowed outside," she said firmly.

"Then tell me how the hell I'm going to get a cake? Do you want me to call the faerie godmother and ask her to conjur up a cake fore me?" I snapped sarcastically. Esme sighed.

"If you could let me finish Edward, then I would give you a simple solution." If I couldn't go out of the house, then Esme would have to get it for me, that brightened the outlook of my day.

"Thanks, mom, I really appreciate you going out to get it for me last minute," I said gratefully.

"Don't be silly Edward, you're going to bake one," she said, halting my sudden good mood.

"What?" I said in a strangely flat tone. "My arm's broken." Thank god I had that excuse. Esme's smile didn't leave her face.

"I wasn't going to make you handle the ingredients, you'll simply tell me what to do." I glared at the wall.

"I'll end up burning it, you know that." Her expression didn't change. "Fine, I'll go get a cookbook," I muttered.

The cookbooks were in Alice's bedroom. Perfect, I knew exactly where her precious credit cards were. Alice hated bringing her credit cards with her, unless she was shopping, so both her and Rosalie were most likely using Rosalie's. Excellent, this was part of my plan to get revenge, and Jasper wasn't here.

Before heading upstairs, I grabbed the kitchen scissors while Esme was washing dishes. I dashed up the stairs, and slammed Alice's door shut, locking it. I opened the small drawer of her bedside table, and saw five gleaming credit cards. Did she polish them or something? They looked way to shiny, and she'd had them for a couple years.

I laid four on top of each other, and cut them in half, and then in quarters. "If she doesn't want her last one destroyed, then she will give me the location of both my cars," I muttered to myself, slipping the last one in my pocket.

I found a random cookbook, and glanced back at the bed. Should I do something with the pieces that were on her bed? No, it would be much better if she were able to discover it for herself. This was not the only thing that she had coming, but my imagination was wasted, and I couldn't think of anything.

I walked back downstairs, looking sullen, so that Esme would know that I hadn't been up to anything. She rarely went into our rooms, so it didn't matter.

What was wrong with them? Didn't my emotional health mean anything to them? Stealing my cars, what the hell had Alice been thinking? Over the past few months, my car had become my home, my only place to live, and to have it taken away to Mexico made me want to burn all of Alice's clothes. Honestly, she was a nightmare, along with Rosalie.

Esme looked at me, smiling. "Did you find one Edward?"

"Yeah," I muttered. "You could have stopped them." She froze.

"Yes, and no. When Alice gets an idea, she's practically unstoppable, you know that, Edward," she said clearly.

"And you know that you could have stopped them!" I was on the edge of yelling now, but I didn't care. "Do you have any idea where the cars are in Mexico, give me at least that much information." My voice was rough, and filled with venom.

"Stop yelling," Edward.

"No," I snarled. I took a deep breathe.

"I truly don't know, Edward." I eyed her warily, and realized that she was telling the truth. I could always detect a lie, no matter who it was, even Alice, and Esme wasn't lying.

"Fine," I muttered.

"But there is one thing I would like to ask you Edward, and I know that it's something that...set you off before," She said quietly.

"Can't wait," I said sarcastically.

"If I set up an appointment for therapy, will you go?" Her voice was pitched so low that I could barely hear it, but when the words finally registered through my head, I glared.

"I don't need it," I said automatically.

"As your mother Edward, I'm begging," she pleaded. "Just one session, if it's useless, then I won't make you go again."

"Fine." Her eyes lightened in surprise.

"Thank you, Edward," she said sincerely.

"Anytime," I muttered.

"Let's get this stupid cake overwith." If I burned the cake, then Chief Swan would think I was trying to poison his family, and Bella would be ashamed. Why me? I supposed that I had brought this out on myself anyway, so I couldn't blame anyone.

"No, we'll go buy one right now," Esme said firmly.

"Really?!" I said gratefully.

"Yes," she smiled. Maybe I could get away with a lot more if I agreed to go to these stupid therapy sessions.

"Let's go," I said. We went out the door, and I saw Carlisle smile at Esme. Perfect, just great.

The selection of cakes wasn't all that impressive to me, but we ended up picking out a nice vanilla cake with frosting that was lined with strawberries on the top. I couldn't wait to try it. Strange, I didn't usually have a sweet tooth. But there was something else that could end my craving, and it was in my jeans pocket. I tried to sneak out the packet of cigarettes, but I heard a gasp from Esme.

"No, Edward!" She shouted.

"I'm 18, the legal age," I whispered. **(I forgot to write a chapter about Edward's birthday when he came back.)**

"Stop, just for tonight. What is Chief Swan going to think of you if you start smoking?" She did have a point. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling by thinking about Bella, which after a while, worked.

"I'm sorry mom," I said quietly.

"Just don't do it again," she said, distressed. I said nothing.

**2 hours later...**

I looked at myself in the mirror, and stared. These were not the types of clothes that I usually wore. A fancy button down shirt, dress pants and black shoes, and my parents had insisted that I wear a tie.

"I look like an idiot," I said in disgust to no one in particular. And, of course, there was the hair. After trying to brush it several times, and smooth it out, I had given up, it was hopeless.

"How am I going to pull this off?"

"Are you ready Edward?" Carlisle called. As ready as I was going to be.

"Yes," I said before throwing myself one more ugly glance in the mirror.

I came down the stairs, and Esme looked delighted. This was probably the first time that I had dressed up nicely for dinner.

"You look wonderful Edward," Esme said encouragingly.

"Sure, let's go," I said in a flat voice. Carlisle gave me a look, and started instructing me on what to say.

"Edward, when you first come in, complement the house, you can simply say that it looks nice, or comment on how cheerful it looks. Then, start a conversation, you can start out by saying..." I cut him off, there was no way that I was going to listen to 15 minutes of this.

"I'm sure I'll figure it out." They dropped me off, and wished me good luck. Yeah, most of the time, luck was on my side, but I had a strange feeling that tonight was going to be different.

I raised my hand to knock, but the door was yanked open, and I saw Bella.

"Hey Edward!" She said enthusiastically. "You're right on time, I guess you didn't arrive fashionably late by fifteen minutes!" Fuck! Was I supposed to arrive late, was it rude to arrive on time? I had wanted to be on time so that Chief Swan thought I was responsible, but I knew that whatever effort I put in would be wasted, there was just too much history of me being in the backseat of his car.

Another woman appeared, with a smile on her face. Did she realize who I was, and what I had done in the past?

"Hello, I'm Anita, and you must be Edward," she said politely, and I couldn't detect a sign of hostility coming from her. Bella looked at me expectantly.

"Yes, I'm Edward Cullen, it's very nice to meet you Anita," I said in the same polite tone. I siwftly glanced at Bella, and I could see a smile. So far, so good.

"Hi Edward," Chief Swan said to me. Anita managed to keep a smile on her face, and Bella was looking firmly at her father.

"Hello Chief Swan, it's good to see you again," I paused slightly looking for something complementary to say. "You have a very nice home." Maybe I shouldn't have interrupted Carlisle. The tension in the air seemed to decrease, and I figured that I had passed the first test. I suddenly realized that I was still holding the cake.

"I, um, brought dessert," I said.

"Thank you," Anita said, taking it from me.

"Can I take your coat?" Bella asked me.

"It's fine," I said quietly to her. "I can do it."

"Your doing great by the way," she said gently.

"Thanks, and you look nice," I said, kissing the top of her head.

"Thanks, and I could say the same about you." She kissed me back on the cheek, and I heard someone clear their throat. I probably looked guilty right about then, and Bella froze too.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I um..." What would be a good excuse? Sorry Chief Swan, I saw your daughter yesterday, and I missed her today, so we briefly kissed each other, yeah, that would go well with him.

"Dinner's ready," Bella said suddenly, breaking the awkward silence, coming back from putting my coat away.

"Right," I said, following Bella. We all sat down, and there was another awkward silence.

"So, Edward, what are your plans for the rest of summer break?" Chief Swan asked me. Was this some sort of trick question to get me to admit something? I tried to keep a confident gaze, and suddenly remembered my plans.

"My family and I are going to Fiji," I said. Bella's father looked stunned.

"Wow, Fiji, I've never been there, but I've heard from people at the station that it's beautiful."

"Yes, my parents are very excited, as well as the rest of my family." Then, an idea sparked into my head. The trip to Fiji; if there was someway that I could get Alice to stay home, then the trip would be perfect.

"Bella, do you want to come with us?" I asked suddenly. This had nothing to do with my revenge against Alice, but I wanted her to come.

"Oh, are you sure it's okay with your parents?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, and you are invited as well Chief Swan, and of course you are too Anita," I said, smiling. Everyone stared at me, especially Bella. Had I said something wrong? Chief Swan finally responded.

"That's very nice of your parents, but Anita and I were planning on going somewhere else," he said. "With Bella," he added a little more quietly.

"Dad, can I go?" Bella asked. There was silence all around the table, and I knew that it had been stupid to ask Chief Swan if I could take his daughter anywhere with my family; we both remembered the trip to Florida.

**Please review. **


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

I had blown it! Chief Swan already hated me, and it was about to get a lot worse. How the hell could I survive this? I had been a fool to suggest that Chief Swan come vacationing with my family and me. Obviously the Chief wouldn't want his daughter anywhere near the delinquent Edward Cullen. However, he had seemed to accept me on some level since I was allowed in his house, for dinner anyway.

"Thank you for the offer, Edward," Anita said, breaking the awkward silence.

"No problem," I mumbled.

"Want to help me serve dessert?" Bella asked. I nodded, and within seconds was out of my chair.

"Sorry," I apologized, once we were in the kitchen. "I didn't know that you were already going somewhere, if I had known, then I never would have offered."

"He's just a little tense, maybe even more so than you," she said thoughtfully.

"I don't see how that could be possible."

"Well, think about it. Charlie wants me to be happy, and he has now realized that you are the person who does that. And he has even more pressure put on him because he is trying to get over his bias over you. Now that he has Anita, he wants to impress her too by being nice to you. So really, you both have the same problems."

"Yes, but he's not the one who offered to take me on a trip to Fiji," I pointed out.

"You were trying to be nice, and I'm disappointed by the way he reacted. He had to realize that we are together and that there's nothing he can do about it," she said quietly.

"Didn't we come here to serve the cake?" I asked suddenly. She nodded.

"Do you want to cut it?"

BPOV

I stared at Edward's cake, and how good it looked. He looked at me, and then at the cake, worried.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it looks delicious!" I exclaimed. "Where did you get it?"

"At the grocery store," he admitted. Had Edward just blushed?

"Why are you embarrassed?" I asked, confused. "It was nice that you brought the cake in the first place."

"Yeah, but it's not home made or anything? Would that have been better?" I smiled.

"No, this is much better, because now I know that you haven't filled the batter with poison or anything."

"Hey, maybe I did it on my way over, you never know," Edward said. I laughed.

"Funny Edward, but I doubt that you did."

I finished cutting the cake, and then brought it to the table. Anita looked at it, and smiled, and I could even see Charlie peering over at Edward's cake. It was almost like it had released the tension.

"This looks delicious Edward," Anita said. I was extremely surprised when Charlie decided to put in something positive. So far, my father was not really impressing me with his behavior towards Edward. I had a strange feeling that right after dessert, Edward would wait for ten minutes, and then leave.

"Thank you for bringing the cake Edward," Charlie put in. "It looks very good."

"No problem," Edward said simply. "I wanted to bring something."

"Oh, good."

I was amazed at how Edward had handled this dinner, and I was sure that any other guy would have either not come in the first place, or simply left after a few minutes. Edward took the knife, and started serving cake, even though no one had asked him to.

I had thought that the tension had evaporated, but everyone was once again silent. Charlie was glaring, Anita was frowning, not at Edward, but at my father, and I was staring at Edward, who was frozen.

What Charlie brought up again, made me freeze, and the only sound was my fork clattering onto the plate, after a moment's hesitation from Edward.

"So, Edward, what are you other plans?" Charlie had again brought up Edward's future, and this time, he had emphasized the word "plans." Edward was in the middle of chewing, and he quickly swallowed.

"I, um, am not sure yet. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the summer as it goes on, maybe traveling, or doing something else," he said calmly. He looked composed, but I could see that he was nervous.

"And these other plans of yours, what exactly do they involve? I hope that you won't run into any trouble on your way there."

"Dad," I whispered, at the same time that Anita said, "Charlie."

I looked over to see Edward's reaction, and he now looked annoyed.

"No, Chief Swan," he replied formally. "I hope I don't run into any car troubles if I'm driving, or get lost; that would be a shame, wouldn't it." Oh god! I needed to stop this! Both of their voices were getting cold, and if I didn't say anything, Charlie would explode.

"No, Edward, I'm sure that that won't happen, not after everything you've been through." I knew exactly what Charlie was implying.

"Dad," I yelled.

"No, it's fine Bella, I just remembered that I promised to fix something for Carlisle at home. So, I should really get going."

"Edward," I whispered.

"Thank you very much for dinner, Chief Swan, and inviting me, and Anita, it was lovely to meet you. Good night, Bella," he said.

I followed him out the door, and waved. Then I realized something.

"Edward, wait, how are you going to get home?" I called from the doorway. He turned around and grinned.

"I'll do it the old fashioned way, and walk. Maybe I'll call my parents half way, I had fun!" He waved, smiling, and I after 30 seconds, he had disappeared into the night.

I stood on the porch, trying to relax before I faced my father. If I had a screaming match in front of Anita, he would be humiliated. Then again, I had been humiliated with his behavior towards Edward, so we were going to be even if I decided to act like a five year old.

As I entered, my father and I stared at each other. Anita was reading the paper, or pretending to.

"Dad," I said calmly. "You embarrassed not only me in front of Edward, but yourself. I thought that this dinner would give you a chance to get to know Edward a little more."

"Bella, he's trouble, I don't approve." I was about to remark that Charlie had Anita, and I had a right to have Edward. However, involving Anita in this would be rude.

"Dad, I don't want to have to lie to you, so I will tell you now, I am not breaking up with Edward anytime soon, so get used to the fact that he is my boyfriend. I'm going to bed now."

"Bella, he was trying to steal you away from me and ruin our vacation, and that pushed me over the edge, and then when he mentioned future plans, I had to warn him," Charlie said. Did my father assume that I would agree with him?

"Dad," I said, exasperated. "We aren't even going anywhere this summer, so you also lied. He invited me, and decided to be polite and invite you. I'm sure that having Chief Swan vacationing with him and his family would have been awkward for him, but he chose to invite you anyway. And he left because you were picking a fight, and you know it. Good night!" My tone was now angry, and I needed to get out.

EPOV

I was walking slowly. Ordinarily I would have run, but I didn't want to injure my arm. If I had to stay in a bloody cast for another week or longer, I think I would scream. I knew one thing for sure, I was going to work on my temper. My voice had gotten cold as I was speaking, and I was glad that I had left when I did.

Well, at least I had learned one thing, Chief Swan still hated me. Too bad, but I wasn't going to stop seeing Bella because of him. For some strange reason, I had wanted it to work out, but that wasn't going to be possible anytime soon.

I kept walking until suddenly, the driveway came into view, and I knew what I was going to do. Alice was either going to tell me where my cars were, or I would search her room until I found some clue.

Carlisle and Esme were seated at the table, and they saw me storm in. I didn't even bother greeting them, I was too stressed. I flipped open my cell, and speed dialed Alice, furious.

"Hello, Eddie," she said, all happy. She was in for a big surprise.

"I don't have much time Alice, so stop your bullshit, I want to know where my cars are, or I swear, I'll…" I was immediately cut off.

"Or you'll what, hit me? Sorry, Eddie, but I don't think you have it in you. Maybe you can kill David for Bella, but you can't hit your own sister, so I'm safe."

"Shut up!" I was so tired of her voice.

"Well, my answer is no," she said simply. "Sorry, Eddie."

I was so close to exploding, it wasn't even funny.

"Fine, Alice, don't tell me, but don't be surprised when I take out my revenge on you." I hung up before she could respond.

I went up to Alice's room, and looked through everything, until I found her computer. I was going to hack into her email. If she didn't have the whereabouts of my car there, then I would never find the information.

My annoying, and frankly dumb sister, had her screen name and password already saved onto the website. I snorted; Alice was such a fool sometimes. While scanning through her sent messages, I saw something with the subject "Edward's Car" that had been sent to Rosalie.

_Rose,_

_Thanks for helping me punish Edward, we are bringing both his cars to Mexico City. I'll take the Volvo (his most prized possession), and you take the Aston Martin._

_Bye_

_PS: I'll be stopping by LA for a shopping trip after Mexico, and probably won't be back for three weeks._

Who cares if I was grounded? I was going to Mexico City in two weeks. The only thing left to do was to call the airlines. I stayed in Alice's room to make sure that Carlisle and Esme wouldn't interrupt me.

"Hello, my name is Tracey, how can I help you?" I grinned.

"Two plane tickets from Port Angeles to Mexico City in two weeks." I wasn't going to take out my revenge on Rosalie on the off chance that she would come back with me to get my cars.

"Yes, and your name?"

"Edward Cullen," I said. I gave her my credit card number, and hung up. I went back downstairs to announce to my parents that I was leaving.

"Mom, dad, I'm leaving for Mexico City in two weeks, I've already bought plane tickets, just letting you know."

"Fine Edward," they said, sighing. It was probably crazy, but I started packing Alice's clothes. At first I had wanted to throw them in the river, but that would be polluting and a waste, so I had a brilliant idea. Sometime on my trip either in Port Angeles, or Mexico City, I would donate Alice's clothes to charity. She didn't need thirty shirts, or whatever number of clothing items she had.

I didn't need many clothes, so I was soon finished packing. My two purposes on this trip were getting rid of Alice's clothes, and getting both cars back.

I calmly walked down the stairs and joined my parents at the table. They both stared at me; I probably looked like a maniac.

"Edward, how was dinner, you're back a little early?" Esme said.

"It was okay, Chief Swan and I were starting to argue, so I left. It was no big deal." And frankly, it didn't seem like it. Chief Swan and I weren't going to be friends right away, and the sooner I got used to that the better. I kept reading, but then I felt my phone vibrate.

I answered as I was running up to my room. For some reason, I had so much energy tonight, and speaking to Bella was even better.

"Hey, Bella!"

"Hi Edward, um, I'm sorry about the way my father treated you, I talked to him about it."

"It's no problem. I'm sure both of us will get along better one day. And I have to apologize too. Sorry I left early, I thought it was best."

"So, anyway," she said. "Sorry, again. What are you up to?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, and I'm trashing Alice's clothes," I said pleasantly.

"Um, Edward, are you sure that's wise? I mean, wasting her clothes."

"No problem, I'm going to Mexico in two weeks, and I'll donate her clothes to charity sometime on the way.

"Oh, I thought you were going to Fiji." I was on some strange high.

"Nope, that's in a month, where are you going with your family?" I heard her yawn.

"Um, Charlie made that up, sorry he lied to you," she apologized again.

"I see. You sound tired."

"Yeah, I am, so I should probably let you go. Good night, Edward, I love you." Her voice was becoming more sleepy.

"Goodnight Bella, I love you too, sweet dreams." She hung up, and I yawned myself. I got ready for bed, and called Rosalie once I was done.

"Edward?" I sincerely hoped that she would help me.

"Rose, I need you to do me a favor," I said, getting straight to the point. "I've reserved two plane tickets to Mexico City, will you please drive one of my cars back?" She hesitated.

"Sure, Edward, why not? I do think what Alice did is a little harsh. How was your dinner with Bella's father." I guess Carlisle and Esme had told her.

"Fine, thanks a lot, bye." I snapped my phone shut. Rosalie had no preference and was remaining neutral.

APOV (Alice)

Ha! This had been my dirtiest revenge yet, stealing Edward's precious Volvo. I had been so lucky that Rosalie had agreed to help me. I saw her close her phone.

"Who called?" I asked curiously.

"Edward."

"What, did he think asking you about his cars was going to get him anywhere?" Rosalie grinned, and said nothing.

"Are you hiding something from me Rose?" I asked, impatient.

"Of course not, but why have we brought Edward's cars to Mexico City of all places?"

"Well, I wanted to come here to see what the shopping was like, and Edward's Volvo is fast, so why not? And, he'll have to go on a wild goose chase in order to get it back." Rosalie shook her head.

"I doubt it. He's probably already raided your room for information. I'm sure he's found something by now."

"Trust me, he won't find anything," I said, confident. Though, Edward always got what he wanted.

"No," Rosalie disagreed. "Alice, you're great at committing crimes, but you don't clean up. I'm sure that you've left a map out or something on your desk." I smiled.

"Nope, and Edward won't be coming to Mexico City at all. He doesn't have his passport."

Rosalie sighed. "Alice, you're forgetting one thing, it's a fake. Remember right before we left, Edward told us that he had the real one? He'll be here, passport or no passport; you're underestimating him."

"You worry too much, Rose," I said, yawning. "Don't worry, Edward will never find them."


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer- I own nothing by Stephenie Meyer.

EPOV

Jasper came storming into my room, and I had no idea why. What had I done this time?

"Edward," he said angrily. "Where are all of Alice's clothes?" Playing dumb would probably be best in this situation.

"Huh?"

"Three fourths of Alice's clothes are gone, and you're the only one who would have done something like that." Alice's clothes were currently in my closet.

"Innocent until proven guilty," I said, grinning.

"If you don't get her clothes out…" I cut him off.

"You would hit your own brother? I'm shocked, Jasper. Besides, why do you care about Alice's clothes? She can just go and buy herself other ones, no big deal." He looked furious.

"I'm concerned Edward, because I bought her a dress that she had been looking at for a while, and it was expensive!"

"I still don't understand why you would accuse me of the crime; what possible motive could I have?" I was trying to play innocent. "Emmett is always the one joking around, so maybe it was him." Jasper looked like he wanted to kill someone, probably me.

Sadly, I had noticed a fancy dress in her closet, and I figured that stealing that would have pissed her off the most, but according to Jasper, she didn't know about it.

"Because Alice didn't just steal Emmett's cars, and drive them to Mexico," he said. That was true.

"Fine," I said. "I'll give you back the stupid dress." I went through my closet, and soon took it out of the suitcase.

"Edward!" he fumed.

"Yes? How can I help you?" I was sick of this. My family needed to leave me alone.

"Nothing," he said, sighing. "See you later."

"See ya," I said lazily.

I stared out my bedroom window, depressed for some reason. I thought about calling Bella, but for some reason, I wanted to be alone. Maybe going to the high school would be relaxing, just like I had when I was younger.

Carlisle and Esme were looking at me as I came down. I didn't care about my house arrest, but I would ask their permission to borrow the car.

"Can I use the Mercedes?" I asked quietly. They stared. "I want to go to the high school, just to look around."

"Fine, but come back soon."

"Sure thing," I said before leaving.

Driving was easier than I had thought. The car wasn't swerving, and I was in control. My stolen cars and revenge against Alice were far away from my mind. The only thing that I was thinking about was what had happened when I was ten. Why was I going back and visiting this place? Maybe I did have a death wish. I wasn't scared that anyone was going to come back, and even if they did, I could probably take them down, but what would it do to me emotionally?

I parked the car, and got out slowly. All I had to do was walk a few feet, and I was standing in the very area where it had all happened.

I heard glass breaking, and disturbing voices. My pulse sped up, and I was ready for a fight. The sound of my arm snapping terrified me.

But when I came back to reality, it was just my memories. I was the only person standing there. The atmosphere was eerie, and I almost felt like someone was going to come and beat me up at a moments notice.

I lighted a cigarette, and calmed down. Why was I here? Did I want to bring back those painful memories, one of the only times that I had been scared in my life? It wasn't right, I shouldn't be smoking, but for once in my life, it was perfectly legal.

I heard a car door slam, and this time I was sure that it was real. Without thinking, I hid from whoever was coming. This was not normal, but I heard the most annoying voice in the world, and I felt like picking a fight.

"Jessica, come here, baby," Mike Newton said. I peered around the corner, and saw that Tyler was getting out of his own car with that stupid girl Lauren. What were they doing here?

Jessica stared at Mike, and had a dumb smile on her face. I saw all four of their eyes gradually drift towards the Mercedes.

"It's Dr. Cullen's car," Lauren screeched. "What is he doing here?"

"You idiot," Mike said. "That's not Dr. Cullen."

"Lauren's right," Tyler put in. "It is Dr. Cullen's car, but I don't think it's him."

"Maybe it's a random Mercedes that someone parked here. That does happen, right?" Jessica asked doubtfully. Mike rolled his eyes.

"Who do we know in this school who spends his time committing crimes? Who do we know who smokes and vandalizes the place, and has beat people up until they're nearly dead?" Newton should be careful about what he said.

"You mean, Cullen?" Tyler said.

I would never beat someone up until they were almost dead. Okay, so maybe I did with David, but I was protecting Bella, and trying to keep myself alive, and he wouldn't quit.

"We're in danger, who knows what he's doing?" Mike said. Did he know that I was listening to every word, and just about ready to start a fight? I could take on Tyler and Newton at the same time, and it would be quick.

"But he moved somewhere, he wasn't here for the last couple months of the school year," Jessica said. "So maybe it's one of his brothers."

"Don't be stupid, Jessica," he said. "Edward is the only one who loiters around the school at night."

Yeah, right, and what was Newton doing right now? Honestly, accusing me of being the only one around who hung around the school.

"Well," Lauren put in. "Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Newton glared at her.

"Not at all," he said. "We're just hanging around talking. Cullen vandalizes, but we don't."

"So anyway, Newton, why are we here in the first place?" Tyler asked.

"I don't know," he said. "Just cause I felt like it." That was a great reason to drag them out at nine at night. I was tired of standing here, and listening. Newton was going to make me insane.

"What I want to know is how I can get Cullen back in jail," he said. His voice was strange, almost demonic.

There was no way that I was going back into that hellhole. Newton could try, and he may just get his wish. I was extremely close to punching him in the face. I was sick of listening to this, and I decided to go back to my car. There was one small problem, and that was the fact that they were about 15 feet away from it. I stepped on the cigarette with the tip of my shoe, making sure that it was burnt out.

All four of them saw me walking to my Mercedes, and Newton, of course, was the first to say something.

"Cullen!" He shouted. "What are you doing out so late tonight?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Newton," I responded coolly. My anger level was rising by the second.

"Out vandalizing, I suppose," he taunted. "We wouldn't want to call the police over that."

I saw him get up, and start walking towards me. Crowley was at his side, and I knew that they were going to start a fight. I was prepared, and eager.

Without a word, Mike came sprinting towards me, and I waited. Was he stupid? He was running around like a fool, and even Crowley was looking at him like he was an idiot, and told him to stop.

"Newton, have you actually ever been in a fight?" I asked him casually, dodging his first punch. His fighting skills were pathetic. I decided to end this. "You really should listen to your friend, Crowley. Please don't take this as an insult, but I doubt that you can beat me." I was perfectly calm.

"Mike," Tyler said. "Stop fighting, he'll win." Newton paid no attention to his friend.

I blocked the next punch, and I, in return, punched him in the face. He staggered back, clutching his nose.

"That was mild," I said, brushing off dust on my shirt. I looked at him, and he was laughing. His nose didn't appear to be broken, and if Mike was hurt, then Tyler could call a hospital.

"Cullen," he cackled. "You're going to go to jail because of this." It was my turn to laugh.

"No, Newton, actually, this time you will be the one in trouble." Newton was an idiot.

"Cullen, you hit me, you can't deny that, so the blame will go to you."

"Actually, if I remember correctly, you're the one who instigated the fight this time, so by all means, report it." I left.

"But no one here will admit that," he said. Everyone, including me, looked at him.

"Mike, we're not going to lie to the police, I do want to go to college," Tyler said.

"Well," Newton said. "I can still get you into jail. Where is Bella? You sat next to her in biology so who knows what you did to her? I haven't seen her around, so tell me where she is," he commanded.

"Why the hell should I know where Isabella is?" I said, annoyed. I remembered to call her "Isabella" so Mike wouldn't become suspicious.

"Watch your language," Mike snapped. I burst out laughing.

"You sound like my parents. Sorry, but I haven't seen her. And maybe you haven't seen her either because she doesn't want to see your ugly face? Did that ever occur to you?" He glared.

"Well, she would be safe with me. Maybe you raped her, who knows. Tell me where she is." He just wouldn't give up.

At the mention of rape and Bella, I suddenly saw David in front of me. I grabbed Newton by his shirt collar, and hit him harder this time.

"You ever say that again, or go near Isabella, I swear that I'll make you regret ever being born. Understand?"

I let go, and saw Newton fall to the ground. It was then that I realized that I wasn't in Seattle, and simply in front of Mike.

"He's crazy," he yelled. "Someone should lock him up, and he should suffer for the rest of his life. You hear that Cullen, you're jail bound, that's where you're headed."

I stared at Mike. His taunts did nothing to me.

"Problem solved. See ya." A fight, I had been dying for one. Although it hadn't exactly been what I wanted, it was still good. It had been strange, even with my broken arm; I had been able to fight him.

I got into the Mercedes, and sped off. I was imagining the day when Mike Newton would be able to beat me up, and laughed. It had been a strange day.

BPOV

I was sitting in my room, being bored when the phone rang. I was hoping it was Edward, but he probably would have called me on my cell, wait a minute…I no longer had a cell phone, so it could be anyone.

"I'll get it," I yelled. No one answered so I figured it was okay. I was disappointed, and even a little scared when I heard this person's voice.

"Bella, is that you?" Will.

"Yes, it's me, Will, what do you want?" I asked rudely.

"Nothing, I was just calling to make sure you were okay, that's all. I noticed that you had left the club, and was wondering who picked you up."

"No, Will, you were drunk, and you threatened to hit me," I snapped.

"That's not true," he protested. "I would never say or do anything like that to you." What an idiot!

"I heard you, and you were very clear." Will was an idiot.

"I don't like liars Bella, and I never said that," he said darkly.

I hung up on him, just like that. I didn't have the patience.

EPOV

Carlisle and Esme saw me walk in, and I knew what I was going to do. Telling Bella about what had happened to me when I was ten had been enough, but now I needed to tell my parents, and I was ready.

I didn't know how they would take it, or what would happen, but it was worth a shot. I sat down, facing them.

"Mom, dad, I need to tell you something." They stared at me.

"What is it Edward?" Esme asked quietly. I could see Carlisle looking at me, almost as if he was studying my expression.

"Do you want to know what happened to me when I was ten?" All I could hope for was that they wouldn't hate me for lying to them after all of these years.


End file.
